The Bounty
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: [COMPLETE] A/U A mysterious man named Zechs shows up at Heero Yuy's office, requesting his services. "Not a guy. A girl," Zechs corrected. "I don't take on female targets," Heero said. Zechs picked up a used envelope from Heero's desk and wrote something down on it. "I will pay you this amount." - Rated M for language and lime.
1. Heero Yuy - Bounty Hunter

The Bounty

by: Scarlet Eve

Part 1: Heero Yuy - Bounty Hunter

Heero Yuy sat at his desk in his small, rented office. He was finishing up some paperwork from a previous case as the day wore on into the evening. Heero enjoyed working long, late hours. It kept him from his silent apartment and one person meals.

A curt knock at his office door alerted him to the presence of a potential client. Heero rose from his desk and walked across the worn wood floor, his thick soled shoes clumping loudly on the wood. He unlocked the ancient deadbolt and turned the doorknob to admit his visitor. On the other side of the door stood a middle aged man, with extremely long platinum blond hair and a scraggly five-o'clock shadow. In his left hand, he held a battered looking briefcase. His suit was pristine, however.

"Good evening, Mr. Yuy," the man said, holding out a hand to shake. Heero shook and bowed his head in greeting.

"Good evening. Your name is..." Heero said.

"Just call me Zechs," the man said, pulling his hand back to his pocket. Heero nodded and stepped back to allow the man into the office.

"Pleasure, Zechs. Have a seat." Heero motioned to the chair that stood opposite of Heero's own chair. The two men walked across the office today and took their seats. Heero leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "How can I help you?"

"I need you to find someone for me," Zechs began. He produced a thin folder and laid it out on the table. "This person has been on the run for several years, and has used many aliases. Just a few of the crimes committed include currently running a ponzi scheme through a website, bank fraud and finding loopholes in casino procedures and making money off of those loopholes. It is a possibility that this person gets illegal tips for trading on the stock market. And may have also been involved in a murder, but nothing has been confirmed about that."

"Sounds interesting," Heero said, leaning forward slightly.

"It is important that this person be located before the police or the FBI catch on. I want to take care of the problem myself," Zechs added. Heero frowned.

"I cannot advise that," Heero said, narrowing his eyes.

"I understand that. That's why I'm counting on your discretion, Mr. Yuy," Zechs said.

"Of course."

"The last known location was Chicago, but there hasn't been a permanent address in several years. Like I said, been on the run for a long time. Do you think you can take on this case?" Zechs asked.

"I believe so. What is this guy's name?"

"Not a guy. A girl," Zechs corrected. Heero held up his hands in front of him.

"I don't take on female targets," Heero said. Zechs picked up a used envelope from Heero's desk and wrote something down on it.

"I will pay you this amount," Zechs said, sliding the envelope across the table to Heero, who glanced down at it, eyes widening. "Half now, and half later. Plus, I will pay for your expense while you search for her." Heero pursed his lips together in a frown. He didn't like this idea. Female targets were a subject of much confusion for Heero Yuy, bounty hunter.

But the pay from this long-haired stranger was more than Heero usually made in a year, minus expenses.

"Alright, I'll do it," Heero said. Zechs smiled and reached across the table to shake Heero's hand.

"Thank you," he said. Heero nodded, and they sat back down. Heero pulled out a stack of papers and began to go over the preliminary documents for this Zechs character and his female target.

The target was a young woman who went by the name Relena Peacecraft-Darlian. She'd been married to an older millionaire, who had a mysterious death several years ago, after which Relena disappeared from Chicago and from anyone's radar. Some thought that she'd murdered the man for his money, but there was no solid proof. She did get all his money, which only added to her trust fund that her parents set up for her, as she came from old New York money. The most recent picture Zechs had of this woman was when the girl was a teenager, just before she'd run away from home, he'd said. Her hair was a medium brown color, and she looked really young in the picture. Zechs gave Heero all the information he'd been able to dig up about her recent life after her marriage, which wasn't much. Heero vaguely wondered what part Zechs played in all this, and how he had this information about her. Heero assumed he must be family or an old boyfriend or something. That was not his concern or business.

The problem, however, would be chasing after this female target, when Heero knew it usually ended in disaster.

After Zechs left Heero's office, Heero packed up his things, including the Relena Peacecraft-Darlian file, and headed home. As he walked down the nearly empty sidewalks, he brooded about the case. Zechs had known quite a bit about this girl's childhood, but almost nothing after her seventeenth birthday. That was when she'd spirited off from home without a word. Zechs had also known that just after her eighteenth birthday, she'd married John Darlian in Chicago, then hyphenated her last name. They were married four years, until Darlian died under much suspicion. After the funeral and the reading of the will, Relena disappeared off the radar with a savings account to her name, bursting with the millions she'd received through the death of her husband. No one in her family heard from her after that, and if she was meeting people and using her real name, no one was making any connections.

Heero arrived at his apartment building. He didn't bother using his key in the security door; it was always broken anyway. He trudged up the three flights of stairs and stopped in front of apartment 303. He unlocked the door and pushed his way inside.

Heero Yuy had never been much of an interior decorator. He only kept a double size mattress on the floor in the small bedroom, a small table with two chairs, a couch, television and a few kitchen appliances. However, his apartment was always spotless and dress from dust and dirt. That he could take pride in.

Heero dropped his bag on the couch and set about making himself a pot of coffee and a microwave dinner. He hated them, but he had little patience to learn to cook. Once the coffee was brewing and his microwave meal was done, he sat at the table, pulled out his laptop and file on Relena, and set to work.

Several hours and several black coffees later, Heero had a stack of about twenty pages sitting on the tray of his wireless printer. Using several methods that might have frowned upon by his colleagues, Heero managed to dig up several aliases that were confirmed to be tied to Relena Peacecraft-Darlian. Seems she'd changed her name in several cities, but used her same social security number. Oops. In addition, he located two offshore bank accounts; one in Switzerland and one in the Cayman Islands. Heero could not determine the amounts inside the accounts, however.

Something strange continually caught his attention was the lack of photos of Relena on the web. He could find the same one Zechs had given him, a few from her younger years and one from her wedding to Darlian.

After a brief nap on the couch with the TV tuned to the weather channel, Heero continued his research. He knew the Peacecraft family was wealthy, but further digging revealed them to be on the same level as the Rockefellers, only the Peacecrafts were taking over the twenty-first century. They also had strong ties to the Winner family and Winner Mining Corp. Heero wondered if he his old friend Quatre Winner would know anything about her.

Heero dialed up his friend's number and waited. Finally, a sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Quatre, it's Heero Yuy."

"Ah, Heero. I was about to ask if you knew what time it was, but you were always a night owl. How can I help you?"

"What do you know about the Peacecraft family?" Heero asked.

"Peacecrafts? My family has been tied to them for years through business and marriage," Quatre said. "The Mr. and Missus are still alive, and they have two children, who I think are technically my distant cousins."

"Two?"

"Yes, Milliardo and his younger sister Relena."

"So she has a brother," Heero mused.

"What do you need to know this for?" Quatre asked after a moment of listening to Heero tap away at his keyboard.

"I've been hired to locate this Relena Peacecraft-Darlian girl," Heero replied.

"Really? Who hired you?"

"Some guy named Zechs. Must be an ex or something. Except for his suit, he was pretty shabby looking," Heero explained.

"I don't know anyone by that name," Quatre said. "I remember a little bit about Relena from prep school, though we were never really close. We would talk occasionally at Peacecraft-Winner family gatherings. She could have been popular because she was so pretty, but she kept to herself. Then senior year, she ran off to Chicago."

"Interesting," Heero said, taking notes.

"She always seemed like she was living up in her head," Quatre added.

"Well, if what this Zechs guy says it true, then its probably because she was planning all kinds of ways to scam people out of millions of dollars," Heero said.

"I would never had though Relena to be capable of that," Quatre said sadly.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about her?" Heero asked.

"Not really. Nothing much else you can't find on the internet."

"Well, thanks for your help," Heero said.

"Of course. Anytime. And if you do find her, I'd like to talk to her."

"I'll do what I can," Heero replied. They made their goodbyes and hung up their phones.

Heero leaned back and digested this new information. He began to form a mental picture of her in his mind.

Just to make sure, Heero looked up Relena's last known address. It was at Darlian's estate in Chicago. After that, her trail of residences ran cold. He began to search for her known aliases, and added many more pages to his stack.

Katrina Weyridge was the sole proprietor of an LLC called Dove Ventures. The only public information available was an article which spoke of an angel investor doling out money to small businesses, and Dove Ventures, LLC was one of those businesses. Being a private company, they didn't have to publicize much information.

Starla Boynes showed up as the administrator for a website that seemed rather shady. All he could determine without entering his credit card information was that by signing up for the website, the user would be privy to information that most people, such as the government and large businesses, didn't want anyone to know. The information was available for "research purposes."

And finally, Miranda Jewells seemed to be an active trader on the stock market, but rarely actually spent time in New York, choosing instead to work through a few different brokers.

Heero leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. The web of connections surrounding this girl just kept growing. Heero grinned to himself. He almost hoped he'd get the chance to speak candidly to her about her various exploits.

He printed out a few more pages, shut down his laptop and collapsed on his bed, just as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.

Heero was woken up around noon to the sound of his phone ringing. His mind still groggy, he climbed out of bed and picked up his phone.

"Quatre," Heero answered after checking the caller ID.

"Afternoon Heero! I couldn't stop thinking about our conversation last night, so this morning at the yacht club, I asked around. Like most, no one has heard from Relena in a long time. But, there is a space here reserved for a young woman named Miranda Jewells. The yacht is named 'The Sailing Dove.' Everyone knows a dove is the Peacecraft symbol.

Several things clicked in Heero's mind at once: dove - Peacecraft - Sailing Dove - Miranda Jewells - Dove Ventures - Relena Peacecraft.

"Looks like she's not a careful as she thinks," Heero said.

"The bartender said she was at the club a few months ago. She had paid cash for the spot, and was talking about heading down to the Caribbean," Quatre added.

"Holy shit, Quatre," Heero said, flipping through his papers he'd printed. "You've basically done my job for me!"

"Well I can't be sure this information is accurate-"

"Accurate enough!" Heero said, cutting him off. "What you just told me fits into some other pieces of information, and would explain why I can't figure out where she lives. She must be staying on that boat."

"That's great then!" Quatre said.

"I'm going to go. If you run across any other information, let me know," Heero said.

"Sure! Bye Heero!" The called ended and Heero excitedly pulled his laptop into his lap. The hunt was on.

-/-\-

Heero spent much of the afternoon calling marinas in the Caribbean. Finally he got a hit.

"Yeah, the Sailing Dove has been here for about three months. Lady pays cash per month," the man said.

"Do you have the lady's name?" Heero asked.

"Calls herself Relena Darlian," he said after a moment.

"Thank you," Heero said, and hung up the phone. "Looks like I'm taking a trip to the Bahamas," he said to his empty apartment.

Heero contacted Zechs to get information for his expenses. Zechs seemed excited that Heero had a lead. He sent him over a credit card number and told him to use it for the big expenses. Heero bought a one way ticket to the Bahamas and booked a room at one of the beach front hotels closest to the marina where Relena was docking her boat.

Heero assumed price was no object, so he purchased the first flight down there from New York, which was a red eye flight that seemed ridiculously overpriced. The flight would be leaving in seven hours. Heero spent some time packing a suitcase and his carry on, then scheduled a cab to pick him up in a few hours.

He was feeling exhausted, but he wanted to wait until he could sleep on the plane. Instead, he drank some more coffee and scrounged around the kitchen for snacks to eat. He settled on a bag of tortilla chips and an apple.

A few hours later, Heero checked his bag and proceeded through airport security. He always left security feeling harassed and violated. When Heero finally boarded, he stowed his carry on and sat down to try and get comfortable in the airplane seat. Even though he was uncomfortable, the excitement of the chase was overshadowing any negativity he felt. It's why he chose this profession.

Soon, the airplane began to taxi, and Heero fell into a much needed albeit uncomfortable sleep.

Heero jolted awake when the plane touched down on the runway. He checked his watch and it read a little after 5am. At least there was no time change between New York and the Bahamas. It took some time to reach the gate, but Heero was finally able to leave the stuffy plane. He picked up his suitcase and headed out to hail a taxi to get to the hotel. It was nearing seven in the morning by the time he was able to pass out in his hotel room.

Heero woke up just after noon, the sun streaming fully through the windows of his room. He showered and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. He was anxious to get out and start looking, but his growling stomach made him change his plans slightly. Instead, he checked out one of the hotel restaurants. He had a quick lunch and headed out.

Using his phone, he pulled up directions to the marina. It wasn't a far walk, really, so he set out on foot. The summer tourism was in full force, and Heero ended up doing a lot of family dodging. As he neared the location via his phone, he looked up to see the mass of boats, yachts and other watercrafts all huddled together along the docks. He figured he should have found out where Relena's boat was docked, but he mentally waved it off. He would find it. He stepped onto the docks and began to wander, checking out the names of the ships. Heero wandered down one dock lined with jet skis, and when he looked up, he saw a flag attached to a pole. It was a black flag with a white dove.

"Gotcha," he said quietly, then changed directions to get closer to that flag. He finally got close, and saw The Sailing Dove written in curly script along the side. It was a decent sized yacht, and probably cost Relena quite a bit of money to purchase and maintain. Heero slowed his pace and looked around for any sign of his target. He tried to make himself look busy, until he heard a voice.

"Ahoy Miss Relena!" It was a male voice. Heero glanced around. He saw a portly man in a Hawaiian shirt waving from his own boat. Heero followed the man's gaze and eventually stopped at a young woman walking down the dock, a purse on one shoulder and a shopping bag on the other.

"Afternoon Charles!" she called back with a wave.

Heero's breath caught in his chest. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian was a tall, slim young woman, with blonder hair than she'd had a teenager. Her long tan legs showed out from a shirt skirt, and her arms and shoulders stood out against the white camisole she wore. He could see straps from her bikini top pulled around her neck. She wore a large, floppy sun hat on her head, shading her face from the bright sun.

Heero's mind went to the place he always tried to resist, but his mind screamed, "She's beautiful!" Heero's hands began to shake, so he turned on his heel and strode away as fast he could.

Heero hurried away from the marina, the heel of his shoes clacking against the concrete sidewalk. His hands remained clenched at his sides as he moved. Heero noticed a bar up ahead, sandwiched between two tourist shops. Feeling like a drink was a good idea, Heero ducked into the bar. Heero sat down at the bar and was approached by the bartender.

"What can I get you?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Rum and coke. No ghost, just a beautiful woman." The man laid a hand over his heart.

"Ahh. I understand, my friend." The bartender made him a double and set it on the counter. "On the house, friend." Heero thanked him and absently drank the rum and coke down to the ice. After a few minutes, his head began to clear.

"Damn it, Zechs," he mumbled under his breath. This was exactly why Heero refused female targets. More often than not, they'd be beautiful, and Heero had seen more than one of his fellow bounty hunters fall prey to a beautiful, female target. Heero tried to keep himself from that and refused them all together. Perhaps if he kept his forthcoming paycheck in mind, he'd be able to just get the job done and drag her back to New York. Heero sighed and rested his forehead against the cool wood of the bar. It smelled faintly of stale beer and coconut.

The alcohol took effect, and Heero was able to recover from the incident of seeing his target for the first time. He pushed her face from his mind and thought instead about all the crimes she's supposed to have committed. He began to realize that he was having trouble believing that someone like her could pull off those crimes. As far as he was able to determine, she didn't even have a completed high school degree. Heero knew, of course, that his most useful skills were not learned in school.

Heero bought a second drink but sipped this one slowly, thoughtfully, trying to come up with some semblance of a plan. His gut was telling him that an impersonal arrest would not work with her. He'd have to get to know her and take her by surprise. Perhaps... just perhaps he could hijack that fancy boat of hers and drive it back up to New York. Heero grinned at the thought.

His second drink was soon gone, and he cut himself off. He thanked the bartender and left.

The sun was already beginning to sink. Heero didn't realize that so much time had passed. Heero wandered back in the direction of the hotel, mentally trying to steel himself from Relena- no- the target. She was just a job, a long time runaway that needed to return back to New York and her ex or whoever Zechs was.

Heero arrived at the hotel and went back to his room. He ordered room service for dinner and brought out all his materials for the job and poured through them. He noticed the information he lacked had to do with personal things- her favorite hang outs, favorite wine or drink, what she does when she's not stealing millions of dollars. Heero had plenty to accuse her of, but not enough to really know her. It could prove to be a problem. Heero doubted that a girl like her could live without having any friends, of course, Heero could relate to a solitary life more than he cared to admit.

Heero's room service arrived so he abandoned his work and spent the first night on the beautiful island by himself, watching television.

-/-\-

Heero woke up relatively early the next morning. After a quick shower, he turned on his laptop and sent an email to Zechs explaining the current state of the job. He left out the embarrassing parts, of course. He then spent an hour attempting to find anything new about Relena, but all he found was the same information he'd already printed off. The unfortunate truth was that he'd have to finish the job face to face and not behind his laptop. Heero closed it back up and left his hotel room in search of breakfast.

The concierge told him about a seaside diner that was close by and had delicious food. Heero thanked her and took the directions she offered.

It was another beautiful day, and the area was already busy. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Heero located the diner. When he stepped into the cramped space, he heard his name.

"Heero Yuy!" He looked around and spotted his college buddy, Duo Maxwell and his recently wed wife, Hilde. Heero raised a hand in greeting, and Duo waved him over. There were two empty chairs at their table, so Heero took one.

"What the heck are you doing in the Bahamas?" Duo asked.

"I'm on a job," Heero replied, stealing Duo's menu out from under his hands.

"Pretty nice place to go chasing after some John," Duo said.

"More like a Jean," Heero corrected, avoiding eye contact. He knew what was coming.

"A woman?" Duo asked.

"What's wrong with that?" Hilde asked indignantly.

"Nothing, except Yuy here vowed to never take on a female target," Duo explained to his wife. "Has Wufei returned to work after that Po chick?" Duo asked, returning his attention to Heero.

"No," Heero replied. "Last I heard he was shacking up with her somewhere on the west coast."

"He's a goner," Duo said. A waitress appeared beside the table. She'd brought coffee for Heero, and she took their food orders. After she wandered away, Heero spoke.

"I'm regretting this one. I tracked her down yesterday, and not only is she beautiful, she's the daughter of the Peacecraft family."

"Shit dude," Duo said.

"That rich family that owns like, half of New York City?" Hilde asked.

"You betcha," Duo replied. "Crazy rich. What the heck is the daughter doing here?" Heero shrugged.

"I haven't asked her yet," Heero said, then sighed. "What are you two doing here?"

"We had to postpone our honeynoon, remember?" Duo said. Heero did remember.

"Right." The waitress brought their food and they dug in.

"So why is this Peacecraft chick being hunted?" Duo asked around a mouthful of food.

"Financial crimes, bank fraud, et cetera," Heero replied.

"What would a rich girl need to do that for?" Hilde asked, aghast.

"I'm hoping I'll find that out," Heero said. They ate in silence for a while. The din of conversation and the sound of cutlery scraping on plates swelled around them.

"I still don't understand what the big deal is about a female target," Hilde said after a while. Heero and Duo glanced at each other.

"One of our professors at the academy explained it this way: the female targets and male bounty hunters can sometimes end up creating a special bond," Duo explained. "When they travel together, spend time together, prior to the arrest and after, sometimes the connection is too strong. And the bounty hunter might decide to not turn the target into the client. And most times, that's the end of their career."

Heero nodded. "We usually direct clients with females targets to female hunters," he added.

"Why don't hunters just not fool around with targets, then?" Hilde asked. Heero glanced at her, his eyes dark.

"Unfortunately, we are only human."

-/-\-

Heero wandered for a while after breakfast. He wanted to avoid going back to the marina. He wasn't ready to try and see her again.

Walking along the beach, Heero was able to take in the salt sea air and the warming rays of the sun. His attention was drawn to a semi-outdoor bar. It looked more like a pavilion, with each side open to the elements. Heero changed directions and crossed into the shade thrown by the pavilion roof.

The interior decoration looked like a bad attempt at a Hawaiian luau. There were white Christmas lights strung everywhere, and there was a loose tropic theme represented in cardboard cutouts and little statues. The music playing consisted of steel drums and what sounded like a ukulele. The pavilion was already packed with people, so early, but Heero figured they were here on vacation and could do what they wanted. Heero squeezed between a group of people and found a place to sit at the bar. He ordered a beer on tap and sat, his eyes shifting around the pavilion, looking over the faces of the people there. Heero was lost in thought for a while, when a tinkling laugh caught his attention from the other side of the U shaped bar.

Heero's head snapped up, and he saw a woman sitting across from him, her blonde hair swept up into a pile on her head, and she wore sunglasses over her eyes, even in the shade. There were several young looking men all vying for this woman's attention, but she was acting flippant, barely acknowledging the men. She seemed to have no problem accepting the drinks that they bought for her.

It was her.

Heero couldn't help but notice the prim way she sat on her barstool, her shoulders rolled back and her back straight, and the graceful way she rested her elbow on the bar and toyed with a few strands of her long hair. She had a curiously slow smile behind those red lips. Heero shook himself, mentally cursing Zechs for offering so much money for this target. Using his phone, he carefully took a flash-less photo of her after she'd removed her sunglasses to wipe a bit of dust or dirt off the lenses. He checked it, and it was a little blurry, but it would have to do. She'd already replaced her sunglasses over her eyes.

The bartender approached him when he noticed that Heero's glass was empty. "Another?" he asked. Heero nodded, and while the bartender was filling the glass with practiced precision, generating very little foam, Heero questioned him about Relena.

"Does that woman come here often?" he asked, discreetly pointing at Relena.

"Oh, Miss Relena? Yeah, pretty often for the last three months or so," he replied, setting the glass down on a paper napkin and sliding it in front of Heero. "You know her?"

"Not personally," Heero said.

"You want me to introduce you to her? She usually has a moment for anyone who asks," the bartender said. Heero thought this was strange, as she did not quite fit the profile of an accommodating woman. "You want me to get her?"

"No, no!" Heero called, but the bartender was already crossing over to the other side of the counter where Relena Peacecraft-Darlian was sitting. Heero's stomach sank to his feet. He watched as the large bartender leaned over and spoke to the target. He saw her reach up and slowly slide off her sunglasses and press them up on the crown of her head. Her mouth curled into a smile and she glanced around the bar, most likely wondering who the bartender was talking about. The bartender then pointed to Heero sitting there on the other side of the bar. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian, financial criminal, locked eyes with Heero Yuy, bounty hunter.

Heero watched Relena hop off the barstool and straighten the dress she was wearing. She pressed her hands to her hair to make sure all was in place and began to walk around the bar towards where Heero was sitting. Heero glanced at the bartender, who winked.

"Good luck, man," he said. Heero wanted to snarl at the man, but kept it inside. Instead, he smiled uneasily. She was getting closer, and there was no way to escape. Just when he was about to consider getting up and running, a waft of sweet smelling perfume filled his nose and he stopped. He turned slowly and saw her standing beside him, smiling, her light blue eyes glinting in the cheap white christmas lights strung on the ceiling. She extended her hand to him.

"Richard there said you wanted to speak to me?" she asked, her voice as sweet as her perfume. "My name is Relena Darlian, what's your's?" Heero reached out and shook her hand.

"Any relation to that millionaire Darlian in Chicago?" Heero asked, hoping to trap her. To his dismay, she laughed easily.

"I get that a lot, but no, sadly, no relation," she said. "Your name?"

"Heero Yuy," he said. She smiled and took her hand back.

"Pleasure to meet you Heero Yuy," she said. "What can I do for you?"

Heero's mind began to race, stumbling over itself. What could he possibly say to this woman? He cursed Zechs once again for bringing him this target. Women were so difficult. Could he use this moment as a chance to get some information from her, or should he use it to get to know her and get closer to her, which might make bringing her into Zechs easier. His mind flitted between to the two choices, and finally settled on the one that he liked the least. She was still staring at him, eyebrows raised in expectation.

"I just thought you looked really beautiful and wanted to speak to you," Heero blurted out, a little too quickly. To his surprise, Relena began to laugh.

"You men all use that same line," she said. Shit, Heero thought. "But I think I like you. Would you like to buy me a drink?" Heero nodded, and she hopped up on the stool beside him. Heero signaled to the bartender, who stepped up right away. He'd been watching the exchange interestedly.

"Get this lady a drink," Heero said, trying to pull together his courage and the tactics that his Duo tried to teach him back in college. The bartender grinned and began to mix a drink, already knowing the drink the lady preferred.

"So Mr. Yuy, where are you from?" Relena asked, angling her body towards him and resting that chin on one of her graceful hands. She crossed one leg over the other, baring her thigh.

"New York City," Heero said, averting his eyes from her.

"What a coincidence. My family is from New York City," she said. Heero nodded, and watched the bartender set the glass down in front of Relena. She grasped the stem of the martini glass and took a delicate sip. He already knew, of course, where her family had come from. He already knew much about this woman; some of her finances, where she'd lived prior to going off the radar, when she had been born and at what hospital.

"What brings you to the islands?" Heero had been lost in thought, but brought himself back quickly when she spoke.

"Vacation from work," he replied. She nodded.

"And what does a handsome man like you do for a living?" she asked, her lids low over her eyes. Time to lie.

"I work for a friend's mining company as a project manager," Heero lied, hoping he'd catch her interest. He was happy to see that Relena had raised an eyebrow.

"Which mining company?" she asked.

"Winner Mining," he replied. He knew Quatre would cover for him any day; he'd done it many times before while Heero was on a job.

"I see," Relena replied, and she appeared to be taking her own mental notes. Heero smiled inwardly. This could get interesting, like a chess match between two professionals. Relena took another sip of her martini. "And how long have you worked for Mr. Winner?" she asked.

"A couple of years, about since college," Heero replied easily. "What do you do for a living, Miss Darlian?" Relena shifted her eyes away from him and looked across the bar.

"Oh this and that," she replied. "Nothing special, as nothing really interests me for long."

"I can understand that."

"Can you, Mr. Yuy?" she asked smoothly, bringing her attention back to him. Their eyes locked once again, her blue eyes boring into him as deeply as Heero was boring into hers. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, then took another sip of her martini. Heero's stomach was tightening. He was not prepared for this exchange at all. She was forward, so confident, and it made him feel like he was a teenager again, stumbling to speak with a girl. Her lips curled into that slow smile, her gaze remaining intense. She can see right through me, he thought to himself. Damn it Zechs.

"Where are you staying, Mr. Yuy?" Relena asked.

"Ocean Breeze Hotel," Heero said, answering truthfully, though he wasn't sure why.

"Lovely place," Relena replied absently. Her gaze had turned away again, looking off into the distance, though she looked to be deep in thought.

"And you?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are you staying?" Heero asked her, bringing her back down to his level.

"I stay on my yacht," she replied.

"Don't you get seasick?" Heero asked. He was never good at making small talk with strangers.

"Of course not. I've been on boats most of my life. It is soothing," she replied.

"Never tried it," Heero said, following that up with a long drink from his beer. Beside him, Relena gave out a yelp and she flew backwards. Heero spun around in his chair and saw that a large man had yanked Relena off her barstool and was dragging her through the sand to the outside of the pavilion.

"Relena!" Heero shouted, then jumped off the stool and began to run after the man. Relena was screaming and thrashing. The man lifted her by the arm and tossed her into the sand. All around them, people were stopping to watch. Heero pushed through the crowd. The man was standing over her, and she was lying prone on the ground, staring up intently at the man.

"You cheating bitch!" he roared at her. He raised his fist, but stopped when Heero punched the guy's neck, lost his balance, then fell over onto the ground, gasping for breath. Heero could tell that the guy was just a thug, not trained in any sort of self defense. Relena's expression became amused.

"You lose consistently. That has nothing to do with me," Relena said. The man didn't like that. He spun around and punched Heero in the gut, then whipped back around to Relena. He dove at her, and she tried to scramble away, her expression quickly dissolving into fear. He managed one good hit on Relena's cheek before he went flying off her from a solid tackle by Heero.

Heero yanked the man off Relena and threw him back into the sand. Two police officers arrived and they went for the man. Heero stood and crossed the sand to Relena's side. She had a hand pressed to her cheek and was frowning. Heero held a hand out to her, which she took, and hoisted her back onto her feet. To Heero's surprise, she remained close to him, her body pressed against his. Heero was slow to realize what he was doing, but he snaked an arm around her waist and held her close.

"This man attacked you?" One of the officers asked. Relena nodded.

"She cheated me!" the man roared. The officer looked skeptically at Relena, then back at the man.

"Sure she did," he said and forced the man into a walk away from the beach. Heero turned to Relena.

"What was that about, Miss Darlian?" he asked her. Relena shook her head and grasped Heero's hand. She pulled him along behind her towards the marina. One had was still pressed against her cheek. They soon arrived at The Sailing Dove. Relena leapt lightly onto the dock and gestured for Heero to follow. He stepped carefully onto the dock and followed. There was a door set into a small walkway. Relena unlocked the door and pushed it open. Heero stepped through the door and down a few steps.

The interior was expensively furnished, with modern black and white couches and chairs, lots of straight lines and black marble. A bar was set near one row of windows. A small ktichen was through one door and her bedroom through another.

"Wow," Heero commented as Relena stepped to the bar and opened a container with ice inside. She wrapped a few pieces in a towel and pressed it to her cheek. Heero walked towards her and took over holding the ice to her cheek.

"Do you often get in trouble with thugs?" Heero asked. Relena pursed her lips together.

"Sometimes," she replied. Heero raised an eyebrow, prompting her for more information. Relena sighed. "I played poker with him last night and he thought I cheated."

"Did you?" Heero asked.

"Perhaps," she replied a small smile on her lips. Heero nearly leaned in to kiss that smile, but he stopped himself. Heero removed the ice from her cheek and inspected it. There was a slight swelling but nothing too major.

"Your cheek should be fine," he said, pressing the ice pack to her face once again.

"I've been in worse scrapes before," she said, her voice low. The two stood silently, in close proximity, sizing the other one up. Heero's stomach was churning, knowing that one wrong move could compromise the whole job. But her desperately wanted to kiss her. The cunning mind she possessed and the intensity in her eyes were immensely attractive to him.

"Miss Darlian..."

"Please, call me Relena," she said.

"Relena then..." But Heero didn't have anything to say. He got some enjoyment just out of saying her name. Relena stepped closer to him. "I should go."

"Why?" A pout graced her lips. Heero sighed. He couldn't just say 'Because you are too beautiful and attractive, but I have to arrest you at some point.' To Heero's immense relief, his phone began to ring. It was Zechs.

"I have to take this call," Heero said, placing the ice pack in her hand.

"Girlfriend?" Was that a hint of sadness in her voice?

"Boss," Heero answered, then let himself out, and climbed off the boat.

"Zechs," he said upon answering.

"Yuy. How's it going?"

"I spoke to her, and saved her from a thug who claimed she cheated him at poker." He heard Zechs hold in a laugh.

"She used to cheat at cards when she was a kid. I have no idea how she learned it. It would probably be best if you brought her in soon, before she gets killed."

"I'm on it," Heero said, though he knew he was not "on it."

"Great, thanks," Zechs said, then hung up the phone. Heero shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk back towards his hotel. He was lost in thought and didn't hear his name being called.

"Heero!" A delicate hand rested on his shoulder. He stopped and turned. Relena had run after him. Uh oh.

"I uh- forgot to thank you for helping me," Relena said, dropping her hand to her side. Heero looked at her skeptically.

"You're welcome," he said.

"Come back and have a drink with me!" she blurted suddenly.

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Is there someone waiting for you in New York?"

"No."

"Then what is it?" Relena persisted.

"I don't know," he said lamely. Relena tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips.

"You don't do much dating," she concluded. Heero had lost control of the situation.

"My work keeps me busy," Heero said.

"Well, you're not at work- you're on vacation. Come on!" she snatched his hand and laced her fingers through his, then gave a tug. Heero followed, smelling disaster, and it smelled like lavender and roses.

Relena mixed the two of them a drink, and she sat down beside him on the couch. They chatted about the island, and Heero concocted ways to try and get her to talk about her crimes.

"How did you afford this if you don't work?" he asked, waving a hand to indicate the yacht.

"Working a nine to five job is not the only way to make money," she said with a grin. "I enjoy stocks," she added.

"Ah."

"What do you find so interesting about me?" Relena asked. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I should ask you the same thing," Heero replied. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"You saved me, didn't you?"

"I get the feeling you would have sweet talked your way out if I hadn't been there."

"Or it could have been the end of me."

"You are too strong for that," Heero said, his voice low.

"What do you even know about me?" came the equally quiet reply.

Heero hadn't realized how close he'd gotten to her. They were inches apart.

"More than you think," Heero replied. His rational mind was shoved away and his carnal instincts took over.

"Hmm..." Relena slid her arms around his neck and jerked him forward until their lips met. Heero lost himself in her. She began to explore his chest and back with one hand and kept the other on the back of his neck. She pushed his shirt up, her fingers trailing over his abs.

"Didn't expect that," she said after breaking the kiss for a moment. She pulled his shirt off and forced him down onto the couch. She straddled his hips, and Heero wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Relena..." Heero moaned she ground her hips against him.

"Yes?" she asked playfully.

"This is not a good idea," he forced himself to say.

"You're right," she said. She reached towards the windows and pressed a button. All the shades went down, blocking out the daylight. "That's better."

"Relena..." he said again. She pressed a finger to his lips, then lowered her face to his ear.

"I lost my virginity to a seventy-year-old man. Let me have you," she said, her voice thick with lust. Heero had just one coherent thought before he succumbed to Relena- "She gave herself away."

When Heero opened his eyes, he realized he was lying on Relena's bed. She was curled up beside him, still naked. Heero carefully slid off the bed and went in search of his clothes. He found them scattered on the floor in the livingroom area. He dressed quickly and silently left Relena's yacht. When his feet touched the deck, he pulled out his cellphone and called Duo.

"Hey buddy," Duo said. "How's it going?"

"I've compromised the job," Heero said, trying to get away from Relena's boat as quickly as possible.

"What did you do?"

"I slept with her."

Duo heaved a sigh.


	2. Relena Darlian - Financial Criminal

The Bounty

Part 2: Relena Darlian - Financial Criminal

A\N: I had intended for this to be a two parter, but that's not gonna happen. It's already too long. So I think I've got it figured out from here on out. Sorry it took so long!

Also, I have added some ways to follow me outside of , including twitter and my blog. Check it out if you are so inclined. I am hoping to be able to communicate with fans through twitter, so that if I'm slacking, I can tell you why. :-)

-/-\-

Relena woke up to an empty bed. She wasn't surprised. Heero had some misplaced chivalry he was clinging to, something Relena found slightly annoying. Relena sighed, feeling post-coiltal contentment for the first time in her life. She stretched, bending her body like a cat. She rose from the bed and found her cell phone, which was still tucked away in her purse. As she scrolled through her contacts while she crossed the room to her laptop and sat down. She pressed the dial button on her old friend and stock broker, Dorothy Catalonia.

"Dove, it's been a while," the velvety voice said on the other end.

"Hello Raven," Relena said. "I need a favor."

"I don't have any tips right now."

"Not that."

"And I'm not killing anyone again. Last time was too close," Dorothy said.

"Not that either. I need you to look into someone for me."

"Ah. Name?"

"Heero Yuy." There was silence on the line as Dorothy searched for 'Heero Yuy.'

"He's twenty-six. Born and raised in New York City. Spent some time in college, then attended a police academy. His current job shows as a 'contractor.'"

"Who's he a contractor for?" Relena asked, turning on her own laptop and leaning back in her chair.

"Uh... the New York Police Department," Dorothy replied after a moment.

"That's weird," Relena commented.

"He's been a 'contractor' for them ever since he graduated from the police academy."

"Are there any addresses?"

"An apartment- nothing special. His work is listed as a small room in an out of the way office building, the kind of place where you pay cheap rent for a five-hundred square foot room with a door."

"Nothing about Winner Mining?"

"Nope."

"Well he lied about that then," Relena commented. She connected her laptop to her cell phone wireless access point and logged into her email.

"Why are you so interested in him?" Dorothy asked.

"Well, I just slept with him," Relena replied.

"Nice work."

"I was feeling icky after only having John," Relena said.

"Naturally. I'm surprised you didn't move on sooner."

"Well, thanks for the help. Call me when you've got something good."

"I always do," Dorothy said. "And just remember, no more killings."

"I'll remember." Relena hung up her phone and tossed it on her small desk. There were several emails from her website, more people interested in "research." The people who signed up for the website always got something they weren't expecting, but Relena didn't expect that they were too upset. A bunch of old businessmen looking for a one up on their competition? No, they would find something much more interesting. It was something Relena learned from John, after she hacked his computer and found his rather dirty internet browsing history. It wasn't like it was illegal, but it kept away the lawsuits for underage kids getting onto the site. The credit card and the boring introduction helped steer those kids clear of her site. But the old men? Oh, they were willing to pay nearly any amount for a chance to watch.

Sometimes Relena questioned her own morality when she updated that website. Was it right to exploit her own gender in such a way? They were always willing, of course, for the paycheck. Besides, a part of Relena didn't care. After she found out what John had been during their 'intimate relations,' she's grown to detest most humans. And there would always be that invisible scar on Relena, the one that always knew that out there on the internet, were videos of her having relations with her seventy year old husband, under the pseudonym, "Lovely Dove." It made her sick to think about.

Relena ignored the new requests for access to the site and closed her laptop. She always felt like she needed a drink after her thoughts made a dark turn to the past.

She dressed in the clothes she'd been wearing earlier and went above deck. Across the docks, Charles from the Knot Big Enuff was on his deck, grilling. His wife Arlene was setting out dishes on the little table.

"Miss Relena!" Charles called, waving his spatula. "Come on over and have a bite!" Relena smiled and stepped up on his yacht. Arlene greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Charles popped the cap off a bottle of beer and passed it to her, and Relena took a seat on one of the cushioned chairs.

"Who was that handsome man that left the Dove?" Arlene asked, leaning close to her ear.

"Heero Yuy. I met him up at Richard's." Arlene grinned.

"He's very good looking." she said.

"Yes he is," Relena sighed wistfully, then took a sip of her beer.

"He looked a little flushed when he left," Arlene said, taking a seat beside Relena, who glanced at the older woman. "I've been around long enough, honey. I know love when I see it."

"I've only just met him," Relena countered.

"But you had sex with him," Arlene retorted. Relena looked at her, as though to ask how the hell she knew that. "I've seen that flush many times before," Arlene added, gesturing to her husband.

"Well, like you said, Arlene, he's really good looking." Arlene let out a loud laugh.

"You always win these discussions, Relena," she laughed. "But I wasn't joking. There is more going on here than meets the eye. I have a feeling you shouldn't let this boy go."

"Oh Arlene, you and your feelings," Relena said, gazing off towards the horizon, thinking of Heero and the gentle way he'd made love to her.

-/-\-

Relena woke up the next morning feeling chilled. She wrapped her blankets around her body and got up from her bed. She'd left a window open during the night, and it looked like a storm might be rolling in. Relena used her phone to check the weather report, and sure enough, there was a thunderstorm predicted for the day. The storm clouds were already rolling in over the land, swelling and growing by the minute. Relena dressed quickly and began prepping the Dove for the storm. She saw several of her neighbors outside, doing the same.

When she finished, she wasn't in the mood to ride out the storm on the water, and headed up to land. As she walked, she decided to take a shot in the dark. She was nearing the main drag when the first spatterings of rain began to fall from the sky. Relena picked up the pace and turned in the direction of the hotel that Heero had told her he was staying at. Relena wondered mildly if he'd been lying about that as well, but she didn't think so. It took her a few minutes to get to the hotel, and by the time she arrived, she was already soaked. Relena walked into the lobby of the hotel and approached the front desk. The woman looked at her.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for someone who is staying here. He forgot to tell me his room number," Relena explained, a little white lie.

"Name?"

"Heero Yuy." Relena shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. She could hear the rain lashing against the building and the low distant rumblings of thunder.

"Room six-fourteen," the woman behind the desk said after a moment. Relena thanked her and walked to the elevators. She took one up to the sixth floor, then wandered, looking for his room. She finally found, and knocked on the door.

When the door opened, Heero was standing on the other side, wearing only a pair of jeans. His hair looked damp.

"Relena!" he said, surprised. His face went instantly red.

"Hi Heero," she said sweetly.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked.

"That storm came in pretty quickly, and I kind of hoped you let me wait it out here with you," she said. Heero shrugged his muscular shoulders.

"Sure," he said, taking a step to the side and letting her in. "You are all wet," he commented, then reached out to touch her arm. "And you're freezing!" He took her hand and pulled her into the room, allowing the door to slam closed behind them.

Relena was surprised at the neatness of his hotel room. She watched him as he opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt.

"Here. Put these on and lay out your clothes to dry," he said. Relena smiled and took the clothes. She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. She peeled off her wet jeans and shirt, and pulled on Heero's clothes. They were soft and smelled faintly like him. Despite herself, Relena smiled and hugged herself around the waist, feeling comfortable in his clothes. She tossed her wet clothes over the shower curtain rod and exited the bathroom.

Heero was sitting on the edge of his bed, his laptop balanced on his knees. When she entered into the main area of the room, he looked up at her, closed the lid and set the laptop aside.

"Sorry, they're a little big on you," he said. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't mind." Relena looked around the room. "This is a pretty nice place," she commented mildly, wandering around. She could feel Heero's eyes on her.

"Did you really just come up here because of the storm?" he asked after a moment. Relena cracked a half smile and turned towards him.

"I don't always go chasing after boys I just met," she said. Heero's face did not show a reaction, but she could see something in his eyes, but the exact nature of what he was thinking eluded her. "Besides, you're up here all by yourself. Aren't you the least bit lonely?" she asked.

"I'm used to it," he said, his voice dripping with honesty. Relena hadn't expected that. She stopped her pacing and stared at him. She could see his profile from her place in the room. He was looking down at the floor, his hair falling over his eyes, still a little damp from a shower or from standing in the rain. His lips were turned down in a frown. For some reason, unbeknownst to her, Relena couldn't stand to see such a sad expression on his face. She stepped to his side and picked up his hand between hers.

"Don't look so sad," she said quietly. Heero turned to look at her, his eyes boring into hers. Relena lifted his hand to her cheek and placed his palm against it, leaning into his hand at the same time. "Smile. You look much better when you smile." A smile flashed across his lips for a moment.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" he asked. Relena shook her head. Heero took his hand away from her and stood up, walking towards the room phone. He dialed down to order room service, and Relena listened while he ordered a variety of foods. Finally, he set the phone back down and turned to her. "It'll be up in a few minutes." Relena nodded with a smile. She began to wander the room again, feeling restless. She could still feel him following her with her eyes. She made a mental note to herself not to make any sudden movements. Who knew what that police academy training taught him?

"So..." she said, running her hands over the dresser.

"So," Heero repeated. He took several long strides across the room and stopped in front of her. He captured her in his arms and looked down at her face. "Did you know that you are too beautiful for your own good?" he asked, his eyes blazing. One hand moved to her waist and slid up the loose shirt she wore, to rest on her lower back. Relena stared back at him, meeting the challenge posed by his eyes.

"Some have told me that," she said with a grin. Heero looked like he was going to kiss her, but he abruptly released her. Relena stared after him as he sat back down on the bed, leaning up against the headboard and picking up a book from the nightstand. Relena planted her hands against her hips. A loud crack of thunder rattled the room, causing her to lose her composure for a moment. Heero looked up at her when she shrieked. With a huff, Relena replaced her hands on her hips.

"You can't just say something like that and walk away, Heero Yuy," she said. Heero didn't look up from his book. "What are you so afraid of?" Heero lay his book down across his legs and looked at her. "It's not like I'm some innocent who doesn't know what she's doing! I've known what I've been doing since I was seventeen!" she said, feeling her voice rise with frustration.

"What have you been doing since you were seventeen?" came the question. His face remained impassive. Relena swallowed hard and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Things," she replied haughtily. "But I'm not seventeen anymore. And besides, you already had-"

"You asked to have me. You didn't ask to keep me," Heero commented. Relena pursed her lips together.

"You are insufferable," she declared. To her surprise, Heero let out a small chuckle. At that moment, there came a knock at the door. Heero rose and brushed past her to opened the door. A cart was rolled into the room, then the busboy disappeared.

"And you anger too easily, Miss Darlian," Heero said. He gestured to the spread. "Eat."

Soon, the food was gone and the storm had passed. Heero and Relena sat out on the balcony, watching the clouds roll away into the distance, and the tourists begin to emerge from their hotels. The sun shone down through the last of the rain, creating a humid haze over the island. Relena twisted her hair around and piled it up on her head, holding it in place with her hand. Her hair had begun to dry after the storm soaking, but with the humid, it was turning into a frizzy mess. She fanned the back of her neck with her other hand. She glanced at Heero out of the corner of her eyes, but he was staring off into the distance. Relena tilted her head and observed his profile in the sun. She thought he really was quite attractive. As she stared, Heero turned and looked at her.

"Yes?" Relena turned her head away.

"Nothing." A cell phone began to ring. Heero pulled the device from his pocket and answered the phone, rising at the same time to step into the hotel room. He closed the door behind him. Relena watched him through the glass. The person he was talking to was making him smirk. Relena turned away and looked back over the island. The wind from the storm had ripped a few branches off trees and scattered them around, but the groundskeepers were already walking around, picking them up and throwing them into wheelbarrows. As she watched them, her own cell phone rang. She answered.

"Raven."

"Hello Dove. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm at Heero's hotel room," Relena said, standing up from the chair to pace.

"Did you sleep with him again?" Dorothy asked.

"No," Relena said. "He hasn't made a move."

"Then make one," Dorothy replied.

"I don't know. He doesn't seem into it," Relena said. Dorothy sighed.

"Well as much as I love hearing about your love problems, that's not why I called. A tip came in," Dorothy said, her tone of voice switching to business.

"Is it a good one?" Relena asked.

"I'd say it is. Some minor software company is about to be gobbled up by a giant, but they haven't made that information, ya know, public yet. If you authorize me to buy the stock of this software company, then you could make five digits once the acquisition happens. They're going to buy out all the shares of issued stock," Dorothy explained. Relena pressed a finger to her chin and thought about it for a moment.

"Sounds fine. Go ahead," Relena said. "Keep me updated on that."

"Always do. And my usual cut?"

"Of course, Raven," Relena said with a smile.

"Perfect. Talk to you soon." The connection was cut. Relena replaced her phone in the pockets of Heero's pajama pants and sat back down. Heero slid the door open and stepped out onto the balcony. He smiled at her, and she narrowed her eyes, suspicious.

"Do you have plans for tonight?" he asked. Relena shrugged her shoulders, her lips sliding into a half grin.

"Depends, what are you proposing?"

"An old college buddy is on the island with his wife. They wondered if we wanted to meet up with them later," Heero said.

"They know about me?" Relena asked, not knowing whether to feel flattered or weirded out.

"Well, he was going to invite just me, but I said I had company," Heero said.

"Sure, sounds fun," she said. Heero grinned and nodded. "I'll need to go get some clean clothes though," she said. Heero nodded, understanding, but a slight grin still graced his lips.

"You don't want to go out like that?" he asked. Relena stuck her tongue out at him.

"No thank you."

Relena managed to squeeze into her still-wet jeans and pulled her shirt back on. Together, they walked back to the marina so Relena could change into dry clothes once again. Heero waited above deck, and Relena saw, before going below deck, Arlene walk up to Heero and start to chat him up. Relena shook her head and headed back down to change.

When she came back up, Heero was still walking to Arlene. He hadn't noticed that she'd come out of the boat, so she stood and watched as Heero tried in vain to answer every question that the woman posed to him. Relena couldn't help the smile that passed over her lips as she watched. Relena had an involuntary thought about her and Heero sailing the seas, stopping at different ports and exploring as many coastal towns as they could.

She suddenly felt disgusted with herself. She shook the thought away, but it continued to nag at her mind. FInally, she decided to rescue Heero from Arlene and try to get her mind off a future she knew would never happen.

"Stop torturing the poor boy," Relena called, stepping onto the dock from the Dove. Arlene grinned mischievously at Relena, then held her hand out to Heero.

"It was a pleasure, Mr. Yuy," she said. Heero shook her hand and smiled, an adorably cute expression of confusion on his face. Relena mentally slapped herself. Stop thinking like that, she scolded herself. She stepped up beside Heero and slipped her hand through his arm and rested it on the crook of his elbow. He looked down at her and gave her a small smile.

"Ready?" Heero asked. Relena nodded, and the two set off.

-/-\-

Relena never had a problem holding her vodka, but rum was another story. And tequila. The two together in various drinks that were handed to her were making her mind fuzzy and her coordination and speech falter. Heero stayed close to her throughout the afternoon and evening, casually sipping on a beer. Relena could have sworn that he had been drinking the same beer all night.

She thought that Heero's friends, Duo and Hilde, were hilarious. They were fun loving people, that was clear, and they accepted her into their little group easily. Hilde seemed to have taken an instant liking to Relena, and they chatted for a long time, before Relena's alcohol tolerance was breached. Duo teased Relena about how her hair was almost as long as his, and that they should have a braid competition. The others laughed, but Relena was struggling to follow the conversation.

They'd found a beach party somewhere, Relena lost track, and they had spent the better part of the evening there. Heero wasn't the only one giving her drinks either. The bartender continually called her over and presented her with a free drink from some admirer in the crowd. In the beginning, Relena hoped it might elicit some form of jealousy from Heero, but she was disappointed. He remained slightly impassive, only amused by the antics of his friends and not be those around them.

Sometime after the sun had long sunk down behind the hills of the island, Relena found herself sitting in the sand, leaning up against Heero's arm. He was staring off into the darkness of the ocean. She'd apparently been sleeping.

"What's going on?" Relena asked through her slurred speech. Heero glanced down at her and gave her a small smile.

"You were falling asleep on your feet, so I brought you out here to sit and sleep off the alcohol a little bit," Heero said.

"It didn't work," Relena moaned, resting her head in her hands. Heero lifted a hand and rubbed her back a little.

"Do you want to go back to your yacht?" Heero asked. Relena nodded her head. Heero rose and swept Relena up into his arms. Relena tried to tell him that she was too heavy for her to carry, but she must have not even said it, because Heero remained silent as he carried her back towards the boat.

-/-\-

-Scarlet Eve


	3. A Pair

The Bounty

Part 3: A Pair

Relena slowly became aware of great heat, and strong wind. Groggily, Relena opened her eyes, blinking several times to clear the fog from her eyes. Her head was pounding and she felt dizzy and sick. Finally, Relena realized that she was sitting against a hand railing, and her hands were bound behind her and through the handrail with a set of handcuffs. She could hear metal clink against metal when she moved. She realized she was still wearing her clothes from the day before, except with the addition of one of her floppy sun hats on her head, keeping the sun off her face.

And to her greater annoyance, the yacht was speeding along through the water, bouncing up gently against the waves.

"Let me go!" Relena shouted. She heard a familiar chuckle behind her. Relena twisted around and tried to see from underneath the floppy hat. She could see someone standing at the steering wheel.

"You're finally awake!" the person called.

"Heero Yuy! You let me go this instant!" Relena shouted at him. Another chuckle. The boat's speed decreased and she could hear the soles of his shoes clicking against the decking. Heero walked around and knelt down in front of her. He lifted the brim of her hat up and looked into her eyes.

"It's already past noon," he said, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. Relena sneered at him.

"What is this all about?" she demanded. Heero scooted back a little and moved into a squat, his forearms resting against his knees.

"I may have told you a few lies, Miss Peacecraft-Darlian," Heero said. Relena's face fell. She knew she hadn't told him her maiden name. "I don't work for Winner mining."

"I figured that much out already," Relena said in a haughty tone from her teenage years.

"I'm a bounty hunter," he went on, ignoring her attitude, "and I was commissioned to come find you and bring you back to New York." Relena pursed her lips together, her anger and annoyance growing inside of her.

"Who?" She asked. "Who sent you?" Heero shrugged as he rose. Relena lifted her face up to follow him.

"Some guy named Zechs. I just assumed he was some old boyfriend or something." Relena snorted with laughter.

"That's my brother, Milliardo!" Relena cried through her laughter. "Zechs is his, as one might call it, street name." Heero raised an eyebrow at her as she continued to laugh.

"Well I supposed that makes sense," Heero said nonchalantly. He began to walk away from her.

"Hey wait! Let me go!" she cried after him.

"Not until I can trust you to not jump off the side of the boat and try to swim for it," Heero replied, increasing the speed of the boat back up. Relena heaved a heavy sigh and let her chin sink down to her breast.

"Can I at least eat something?" Relena called to him. No response came for a few moments, but he soon stepped in front of her once again, carrying toast with jam that he must have found in her small pantry. "How am I supposed to eat?" she asked indignantly. Heero quirked an eyebrow and lifted the toast to her mouth. "Really?"

"I still don't trust you to not jump ship, but I suppose I could let one arm go," Heero said. He set the small plate to the side and pulled a small key from the pocket of his shorts. He unlocked one wrist from its restraint. Relena took that chance to deliver a slap across Heero's face. The sharp smack of skin against skin echoed in her mind for a moment. Heero's head jerked to the side, and he touched his cheek with his fingertips. Instead of retaliating, he simply put the plate into her free hand and rose.

"I suppose I deserved that," he said mildly.

"You suppose?" Relena asked, taking a bite of the toast. "You set me up, didn't you?" she asked. Heero let out a low chuckle.

"Sort of," Heero said. "Duo is an old classmate from the police academy. When I told him I'd compromised my mission, he helped me figure out a plan to get back on track." Relena took a slow bite of her toast. Compromised his mission?

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're not typically supposed to sleep with your target," Heero replied. Relena blinked. "A lot of good bounty hunters have gone astray from falling for their target."

"But not you, right?" Relena asked, sarcasm rimming the edges of her words. Truth be told, she was feeling a little hurt. She had allowed herself to think happy thoughts about the probability of something happening with Heero. She felt a strange connection with him, though it could be because he already knew everything about her, and he was out to find her anyway. She'd played right into his hands, and now she felt like a fool. Relena averted her eyes away from him, allowing her emotions to take over her face. Heero reached up to her face and touched her lightly.

"This is the other reason I don't like to take on female targets. Not only is there a chance of falling for them, there is an even bigger chance of hurting them, like I've hurt you," Heero said. Relena had to force down the lump in her throat at her words. At least she knew he wasn't completely heartless. Relena thought about this for a few moments, as Heero's touch lingered against her skin. So she would end up back in New York; Milliardo was probably going to try and get her to change her ways and settle down with another stifling marriage. He was just like their parents. Heero withdrew his hand from her cheek, but continued to look at her.

"So I guess begging you not to take me back won't do any good?" she asked with a sad smile on her face. Heero nodded.

"I have to finish the job," Heero said. "Although, once I pass you off to your brother, you are no longer under my protection, so you'll be free to do what you want, if your brother let's you, anyway." Heero rose up to a standing position.

"Will you take these handcuffs off?" Relena asked sweetly.

"Are you going to jump ship?" Relena hesitated with her response, and she knew she lost this time. Heero smiled and shook his head. "Sorry." He walked away. Relena heaved a sigh and lowered her head again. At least he had the courtesy to put the hat on her head so her face wouldn't resemble a lobster.

Heero walked back to the controls of the ship and increased the speed once again. There wasn't much food in the stores, so he knew they'd have to stop. They would need fuel as well. Heero sighed to himself as he looked over at the back of Relena's head, covered in the hat he'd found in her closet, tilted to the side on her shoulder. He didn't really want to leave her there, but he couldn't trust her yet to not try and get away. However, she didn't react as violently as he thought she would when he explained his intentions. She did slap him but that wasn't a big deal. Perhaps if she resigned herself to her fate, then they could have a pleasant trip up the coast. He still wanted to talk to her about all her crimes, as he found it greatly interesting that behind that pretty face was the cunning mind, almost as cunning as someone from the mob. Heero briefly entertained the idea that the Peacecrafts and Winners were rival mobs in New York. It sure seemed like it sometimes, anyway.

Relena spent a few hours staring off at the ocean. She wondered what time he possibly could have left the marina, since they were already coming up on the coast of Florida. They'd have to stop eventually for fuel and supplies. She hadn't prepared the yacht for a long trip.

Sure enough, the coastline rose up in front of them. "Where are we stopping?" Relena called.

"Miami," Heero replied. Relena nodded. She'd stopped there before continuing onto the Bahamas. The sun was on it's way down to the western horizon by the time they pulled in. Relena wondered if Heero Yuy ever needed to sleep or got tired, since as far as she could calculate, he'd most likely been awake for almost 48 hours by now. Relena was getting restless. During the trip, he had let her get up to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom, but he stayed by her side and kept her away from the sides of the boat. Relena wasn't sure if she would actually jump the boat. She was a strong swimmer, sure, but why run for it when she could ride on her own yacht all the way back to New York with an attractive bounty hunter. Maybe she could even try to seduce him again.

Heero navigated The Sailing Dove into the marina and paid for a pass for the night. Finally, he returned to Relena and announced to her that they would leave and go eat somewhere, someplace with wifi, preferably, and then stock up on supplies and fuel for the return trip. Relena consented and promised to be good. He released her from her bonds and they left the yacht together. They managed to find a small cafe that boasted a free wifi connection, so they settled down at an outside table that was covered by an awning. They both had brought their laptops with them, and proceeded to take care of business. Relena granted access to her site for a few more people, and updated herself on her stocks and sent an email to Dorothy explaining what was happening, and that she would be back in New York. She knew Dorothy would find the whole situation hilarious, and she didn't want to deprive her friend of a good laugh.

Heero was sending an email to Zechs to inform him about their return to New York, then replied to a few inquiry emails about business. He edited his automatic signature on his email to have the line "Male Targets Only" in bold and large letters. Never again would be he put himself in this situation. Relena was sitting there, across from him, looking beautiful in the fading light, and he was having constant conflicts with himself about taking her back to her brother. Deep down, he would much rather have stayed in the Bahamas with her, enjoying the sun and the ocean and the drinks. But he had a mediocre life to return to in New York, he reminded himself sarcastically. Heero hoped that Relena would have caught the slight hint he'd dropped, about how she'd be free to do what she wanted once Heero passed her off to her brother. Maybe come visit him sometimes...

Heero mentally slapped himself. It was proving to be more and more difficult to keep those thoughts of Relena from his mind. Heero sat back in his chair and took a sip of the beer he'd ordered and watched Relena. She was sitting in the chair with her leg crossed over the other, one elbow resting on the table with her fingers absently tapping against her jaw, while the other hand typed on the computer. The expression in her eyes caught his attention the most, a look of deep concentration, which caused a small wrinkle between her eyebrows to form. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of the amount of time she must spend with that calculating look on her face.

Relena glanced up from her laptop and noticed that Heero was staring at her from across the table. A smile tugged at her lips, but she quickly shifted her gaze back down to the screen.

"Here you go," a voice caught their attention. A young waitress stood beside the table, holding their plates of food. Simultaneously, Heero and Relena removed their laptops from the small table and placed them back in their bags, so that the waitress could set down the plates. With a twirl of her skirt, the waitress walked off and back inside the cafe.

"Relena?" Heero said after his first bite of food. She glanced up at him, eyebrows raised in expectancy. "When did you commit your first financial crime?" he asked. Relena laughed out loud, having not expected such a question. She tapped her chin with her finger.

"I suppose it was in high school as a freshman," she said. "Our school of course, expressly forbade gambling, but so many of those prep school kids caught the bug from their parents, and were always looking for a way to wile away their money. I had a pretty extensive gambling ring going on until I got caught," she said, ending her story with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Impressive. And up until then I suppose no one suspected you?" Heero asked.

"Mostly. Someone got nervous and ratted on me when the administration found out. After that, they watched my every move. I got tired of it after a while and left."

"When you ran away to Chicago?" Heero prompted.

"Mhm. And I met John Darlian," she said, her gaze drifted off to the distance.

"What happened there? You were only seventeen," Heero asked, his voice low. Relena didn't respond right away. She appeared to be lost in thought. Heero looked down at his plate and picked at his food.

Relena felt the familiar twinges of regret of past mistakes. She bounced her foot nervously, aware that Heero was staring at her, waiting for an answer. The decision to spill the story to someone for the first time or to continue to keep it locked away was nagging at her. She heaved a sigh.

"It's not exactly a period of my life I am proud of, that's for sure," she began.

_Relena sat in a small coffee shop she'd found after she arrived in Chicago. As she dug around in her purse, she found that she didn't have a whole lot of money with her, and there was no way she was going to be able to afford a night at one of the fabulous hotels in the area. Sighing in irritation, she took another drink of her coffee, which was slowly going cold. She been sitting there for several hours, thinking, trying to figure out what to do. She knew that her decision to run away from home was a bit irrational and spontaneous, but the stifling attitude everyone in her life had towards her was suffocating the life right out of her. She needed to breathe, she needed to be herself, and this was the only way._

_Finally, Relena finished her cold coffee and left the coffee shop. The streets and sidewalks were getting busier, as it was nearing five o'clock and many people were beginning to leave work. Feeling hopeless and lost, Relena began to wander the streets, wondering what she was going to do with herself. Her ambling eventually brought her to a park, where she found an empty bench and sat down._

_Against her wishes, her throat closed up and her chin began to tremble. She pressed her hands into her eyes to try and stop the onslaught of tears that were threatening to spill._

_"Don't you dare cry, Relena Peacecraft," she mumbled to herself, but the tears came anyway. Soon, the salty tears were dripping off her cheeks and landing on her legs, causing little dark spots to appear on the fabric of her jeans. Her chest heaved and her shoulders shook. As she cried, she hadn't noticed that an older man had stopped in front of her and was looking down at her, looking at her with concern in his clear blue eyes._

_"What is a pretty girl like you crying in the middle of a park?" he asked. Relena snapped her head up and saw him standing there, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. The hair on his head was not completely gray, but a salt and pepper look of gray and his original brown. He was tall, though slightly stooped in the shoulders, and had a ruggedly handsome face for an older man._

_Relena quickly wiped her face with her sleeve and looked back at him._

_"I'm not doing anything," she stated rather lamely, feeling at a loss for words. The man smiled and sat down on the bench beside her, setting his briefcase down on the ground under the bench._

_"Now that's a lie if I've ever heard one. Come, what is troubling you?" he asked. Relena, feeling desperate for companionship, though knowing it was probably stupid to let her heart out to a total stranger, began to talk, beginning from her midnight flight from her parents' home._

_"That is quite the story," he said when she'd finished. He gently patted her shoulder and looked at her with such sympathy that Relena nearly began to cry all over again. "Now, now, there's no reason for that," he said. "My name is John Darlian. Here is my card." He produced a small white business card from his coat pocket and handed it over. "In case you ever need anything."_

_"From the famous Darlian family?" Relena asked, astonished. He nodded his head slightly in response. "My family hates your family!" she cried out, then clapped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry." John chuckled slightly._

_"That's what happened when you become a success, I suppose," he said. Relena shook her head, turning her body towards him on the bench._

_"No, it's not that! I'm from the Peacecraft family in New York! My ancestors were so mad when your family wouldn't let themselves be bought out by ours, and they've harbored that grudge forever!" she said._

_"You are a Peacecraft?" John asked, a gleam in his eyes that Relena wasn't able to interpret in that moment. "You wouldn't be the current heiress, Relena?" Relena nodded vigorously, feeling now a part of the world she'd attempted to leave behind, yet it remained the life she felt comfortable in. "That makes this all much different." John fell silent for a moment, then met her eyes once again. "Would you like to have dinner with me, Miss Relena Peacecraft? I can't let a well respected family's daughter wander the streets of Chicago by herself. The city can be dangerous sometimes."_

_"I'd love to," Relena said. John rose and offered his arm to her, and she took it willingly._

"We married a few months after I turned eighteen so that my parents wouldn't have to give their consent. Back then, I was just a delusional teenager just looking for a way to stay off the street. John's true nature revealed itself soon after our marriage," Relena explained. Heero had been staring at her, completely enthralled by her story.

"And you got out of it when he died under 'suspicious causes,'" Heero said, remembering the different articles about that situation he'd read during the preliminary research about Relena. The girl across the table shifted her gaze away from his. Heero narrowed his eyes. "What were those suspicious causes?" he asked. Relena crossed her arms over her chest and refused to answer that question.

"If I tell you, and you get called to testify against me, which is possible considering my brother is behind this, I don't want you to know," Relena said forcefully. Heero nodded once, accepting these terms.

"I won't ask again," he said.

The two fell into a slightly awkward silence. They finished what remained of their meal and left after paying the check. They spent the better part of the evening picking up supplies for the yacht and more fuel. When they finally returned to The Sailing Dove, the worked together in silence to put away the supplies and to prep the yacht for the next day of travel. During their tasks, Relena noticed that Heero was more silent than usual, and she worried he might have changed his opinion about her, considering her teenage silliness. He seemed to look at her with a different expression in his eyes. It made her sad.

Before going to bed, Relena turned to look at Heero, who was fixing up the bed for himself on a couch. She was tempted to ask him to spend the night with her, as she knew she'd be plagued by dreams of the past, but she steeled herself against that desire.

"Will you promise me something, Heero?" she asked him instead. Heero glanced up at her. "When we get back to New York, will you keep in touch with me?" she asked. Heero gave her a single nod. Satisfied enough for now, Relena smiled and turned away from him and stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.


	4. Lovers at Sea

The Bounty

Part 4: Lovers at Sea

Heero watched the door to Relena's room close and click into place. With a heavy sigh, he sank down onto the large couch and stretched his body out, letting his head rest on the arm of the couch. He'd hoped that during their conversations earlier, the mysterious pieces of Relena's past would become clearer, but all those pieces simply grew foggier. He could understand her reasons for not telling him about her husband's death, but in some noble way, he'd hoped that he would be able to help her if he knew the truth.

"That's not your job," he reminded himself, staring up at the ceiling above. He was no lawyer. He was simply a former police officer who became disillusioned with his co-workers and left to do his own thing. Relena would have to use that money of hers to hire someone to defend her, should her brother turn her in.

A vibration in his pocket alerted him to a call coming through his cell phone. He retrieved the phone from his pocket. Duo's name was blinking on the display. Heero pressed the button to answer and held the phone to his ear without sitting up.

"Maxwell."

"Hey there buddy! How'd everything go?" Duo asked, his voice overly excited for the late hour.

"As planned," Heero replied.

"Was she pissed?"

"For a little while."

"Awesome. Make sure you call me when you make it back to New York. Hilde and I will only be here for a couple more days before we head back," Duo said.

"Sounds good," Heero replied, his mind wandering away from Duo's conversation.

"Hey man, what's going on? You're being more monosyllabic than usual." Heero pondered his answer. What could he say? That he had strong feelings for this girl? That he was feeling a compulsive need to protect her? That he wanted to turn the ship around and return to the islands and hide out there with Relena?

"Just feeling like the reasons I have for not taking on female targets are legitimate," Heero replied. He heard Duo let out a breath on the other side of the line.

"I hear ya, man," Duo said. "But you gotta finish the job. Don't disappear like Chang." Heero could hear the genuine concern in his friend's voice. It was an abnormal tone of voice for his otherwise outgoing and carefree friend. Heero nodded, though he knew Duo couldn't see. He wasn't only making the promise to Duo, but to himself as well.

"I'll finish the job," Heero said.

"Good man. I gotta go. Hilde is waiting for me. I'll talk to you soon," Duo said.

"Sure." The two men hung up the phones and Heero dropped his phone to the floor of the yacht beside the couch. Before Heero could change out of his shorts and t-shirt, his eyes slipped closed and he drifted off into sleep.

For the second day in a row, Relena woke up to the motion of the yacht cutting a wake through the waves in the ocean. It wasn't a feeling she was familiar with, as she was usually alone. This time, however, she had an attractive man taking the controls while she had what on the surface seemed like a leisurely cruise up the east coast of North America. Relena rolled off her bed and stood up. She took a moment to adjust to the movement of the yacht, then walked to the small closet in the corner where she'd managed to cram most of her clothes. She dressed, taking her time, putting on a bit of makeup and smoothing out her tangled hair. She finally turned away from her reflection in the mirror and left her small bedroom.

She noticed that the French press coffee maker was sitting on the counter in the kitchenette, half full of coffee. A quick touch to the side proved that the coffee was already cold. Relena was surprised that Heero had managed to figure out how to use the thing, until she noticed the creased instructional paper unfolded in the corner of the counter. A grin crossed her face. She turned away from the counter and walked up the steps to the dock. Heero was steering, the wind blowing his hair back away from his face. He wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, but his brow was still furrowed from the mid-morning sunlight glared off the water from the east. Relena stepped across the deck, the salty wind blasting through her recently combed hair. A spray brushed up against the side of the yacht, glistening Relena's skin with water. It was then that Heero glanced away from the horizon and met her gaze.

Relena flashed him a smile, then flipped her hair over her shoulder. Heero smirked. "Good morning!" Relena called, waving to him before crossing to the prow. She leaned against the metal railing, feeling the wind swirl past her, fluttering her clothes and hair behind her. They were speeding along, making good time from what Relena could tell. Along the western side of the yacht, Relena could see a faint line of the eastern coast of America.

As she watched the horizons around her, she could feel Heero's eyes on her back. She suddenly felt torn between continuing to flirt with this handsome man, send thousands of miles from his home just to find her, or to leave him alone and let him finish his job. She knew in the end she would have to say good bye to him anyway, and leave herself in her brother's hands to whatever fate he planned for her. Relena threw a glance over her shoulder and saw Heero quickly glance away. Relena sighed. She was too old to keep playing mind games with men.

Relena stepped away from the prow and crossed back towards Heero, her bare toes gripping against the textured surface behind her feet. As she neared him, Heero's gaze returned to her face, his expression barely readable behind the sunglasses.

"Heero," Relena murmured. Heero responded by pulling off his sunglasses and tucking them away in the pocket of his shorts.

"Relena," Heero replied. Relena reached out for Heero, her fingers brushing against his forearm. Heero glanced down at this gesture. He quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"We have a couple of days before we make it back to New York..." Relena began. "And well... we did have that one night..." The rest of her words caught in her throat. Heero was still staring at Relena, but his gaze had softened.

"Are you asking...?"

"There's nothing wrong with two people stuck together on a boat to enjoy it!" Relena blurted out. Heero let out a low chuckle.

"No I suppose not," he replied.

Heero watched with mild amusement as a flush crept up on her neck and into her cheeks. Her blue eyes shone in the sunlight, tinged with embarrassment. It was... endearing. Heero's fingers itched to touch her, so he extended his hands towards her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. Her body relaxed against his chest and as they stood on the deck, they rocked together against the waves breaking under the speed of the yacht. Heero looked down at Relena and grinned, and in response, she pressed herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him. The pair deepened the kiss against each other, and Heero reached out and brought the speed of the yacht down to a stop before they disappeared below.

A/N I apologize for falling off the face of the Earth there for a while. Been dealing with a lot of stuff lately, but things have settled back down, and I'm itching to finish this story up and bring you my next one. I promise the next chapter will be less fluffy and more exciting... unless.. you like it this way... :-) lol

-Scarlet Eve


	5. My Brother, My Betrayer

The Bounty

Part 5: My Brother, My Betrayer

Relena rested her chin in her hand, her elbow balanced on the metal railing at the prow of the boat. In the distance, the skyline of New York was looming, normally a welcome site for the young woman, but not this time. Instead, she knew her brother would be waiting at the marina, with as of yet unknown plans for her. She knew this because she could hear her captor, Heero Yuy, speaking with her brother on the phone. He'd made the call as soon as his cell phone picked up a few bars of signal. At least Heero had the decency to look sad when he made the call.

"See you soon," Heero said behind her. Relena turned and watched as he pocketed his phone and looked up at her.

"There's still time to turn around," Relena suggested, crossing her arms over her chest. Heero shook his head, his brown hair falling in his face. Relena pursed her lips and huffed.

"My livelihood would be gone if I abandoned my job," Heero replied. "We've talked about this."

Indeed they had, many times over the previous two days. Usually while they were naked, lying in Relena's bed, when Relena's attachment to the handsome bounty hunter was the strongest. She'd even had a moment of weakness and shed a few tears at him, but he would not be swayed. And he continued to remind her of his promise, that he would keep in touch with her, no matter what happens when they arrived in New York.

So while he slept, Relena had to make her own plans. She never went anywhere without a plan.

-/-\-

Heero slowly maneuvered the yacht through the marina, searching for Relena, who'd already went ashore to negotiate a long term spot. Finally, among flags, masts, boats and people, he saw her waving to him, her floppy sunhat reflecting the sunlight. Heero nodded and closed the distance, and pulled the yacht into the spot where she stood. Relena quickly attached the hooks to the dock as Heero cut the engine. He picked up his duffel bag from the floor beside him and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped off the boat onto the dock and smiled at Relena, who was frowning and looked nervous.

"It's alright," Heero said quietly, and he rested a hand on her shoulder. "If he goes overboard, just call me and I'll see what I can do to help you." Relena gave him a half smile, but did not respond. She looked around the crowded marina, keeping her face mostly covered by her hat.

They began to walk towards the mainland, Heero's hand brushing against Relena's as they walked. Finally, Heero spotted the sunlight reflecting off the platinum blonde hair of Relena's brother, Zechs, or rather, Milliardo Peacecraft. He had on sunglasses and was dressed more casually than he had been before, but there was no mistaking that hair. The distance closed, and Relena seemed to become more and more agitated. Heero couldn't help but wonder if there was a more sordid history between the two than Relena had said.

Heero saw Milliardo smile when he saw his little sister, but Heero could also sense Relena's nervousness beside him as their feet clunked against the wooden dock.

-/-\-

Relena's eyes were rapidly scanning the area, searching for a familiar face in the crowd. Finally, she saw a flash of blonde hair disappear behind a group of people, only to reappear on the other side. The woman sauntered down the dock, looking around at the docked boats like she owned the place. Relena let out a breath of relief.

Dorothy glanced towards Relena and winked, and Relena smiled. She quickly turned her attention towards her brother, who was now a few feet away.

"My dear sister," Milliardo proclaimed as he threw his arms around Relena and pulled her into a hug. Relena reluctantly allowed herself to be enveloped for a moment, before she pulled away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Dorothy walking towards her brother and stopping behind him, casually leaning against a wooden post and inspecting a yacht.

"Hello brother," Relena said, having to crane her neck to see his face. Relena looked to Heero, who was still standing beside her, one hand resting on the strap of his duffel bag. Milliardo turned his gaze towards Heero.

"Thank you for successfully bringing my sister back," Milliardo said, producing a white envelope from his shirt pocket and handing it over to Heero. Relena detected almost a hint of guilt in Heero's expression as he took the rest of his payment from the Peacecraft heir and tucked it away in his bag. "If that's everything...?" Milliardo added, reaching a hand out to Relena to lead her along. From behind her brother, Relena saw Dorothy nod.

"Of course," she replied, and took a step forward. But instead of taking her brother's hand, she whirled around towards Heero, planted her hands on his chest and gave him a rough shove towards the edge of the dock. At the same time, Dorothy sprung on Milliardo, heaving her shoulder into him and sending him sprawling towards the water.

Relena caught Heero's gaze as he stumbled backwards, a look of pure confusion staring back at her just before his face disappeared over the side of the dock.

There were two simultaneous splashes. Dorothy had successfully forced Milliardo over the edge as well. Now the two girls stood in front of each other.

"Relena!" both Heero and Milliardo were calling, attempting to keep their heads above the water while being jostled by the boats all around them.

"Let's go," Dorothy said. Relena nodded and they took off running, pulling the stares of the other people standing around on the docks. They dashed through, shoving people out of their way as they made a run for it.

-/-\-

Heero was the first to climb out of the water and back onto the dock. His clothes and his duffel bag were soaked with water, and he stood there on the dock, dripping, watching as Relena and Dorothy dodged around the other people.

"Yuy! Run after her!" Millardo yelled at him from where he was hanging off the side of the dock, struggling to hoist himself back up. Heero nodded and swung his bag around so it was across his back then took off. His shoes made an unpleasant squelching noise as he ran, and the water soaked clothing slowed him down. But really, he wanted Relena to get away. But Milliardo didn't need to know that.

Behind him, Milliardo managed to pull himself up, but his pace was slower than Heero's due to the soggy jeans Milliardo wore.

Heero tried to find Relena and the other woman among crowd. He stopped for a moment to look, and heard shouting coming from somewhere off to his right. Sure enough, several people were yelling and jumping out of the way of the two girls. Heero lunged forward and began to run again. Every few steps, he would see Relena's head, with her large sunhat, bobbing up and down through the crowds.

Another sound caught his attention, and this one caused his chest to tighten. It was the sound of police sirens. Heero stopped running again and peered over the heads of the crowd. There were three police cars waiting near the exit of the marina property, their lights flashing. Milliardo caught up to Heero, his chest heaving slightly with the struggle of running in wet jeans.

"I figured she'd try to run for it," Milliardo said with a laugh. Heero glanced at Milliardo, feeling a strong dislike towards this older man. "Thanks again, Yuy," he said before stalking off towards the officers.

"Shit..." Heero mumbled. He circled the crowd to approach the commotion from a different angle. Through the bystanders, he could see an office wrestling Relena down to the ground. Relena's cohort was already handcuffed and being lead towards a police vehicle.

"Get off me!" Relena was shouting. Heero wanted to run to her, but if he got arrested for interfering, he would be of no help to her. So against his desires, he stood firm behind the crowd, watching the blonde woman who stole his heart get hauled up by two burly officers and shoved into the backseat of a car, but not before swinging her arms around and knocking one of the officers in the face and giving him a bloody nose.

-/-\-

Heero leaned forward in his seat and handed the taxi driver a wad of cash to pay for his ride from the marina back to his apartment. The taxi driver grunted in thanks, and Heero climbed out, pulling his still wet duffel bag out behind him. The taxi sped away, nearly hitting a pedestrian. Heero trudged up to the door of his building and walked through the always broken door and up the steps to his apartment.

When he stepped inside, his own scent hit him. He hadn't been gone that long, but already his home felt unfamiliar and strange. Compared to the beautiful hotel, the beaches, the pools and the ocean, his small, sparse apartment was dull. He sighed and pulled off his wet shoes and kicked them into a corner. He walked into his bedroom and peeled off his wet clothes and tossed them in a heap along with his duffel bag. Looking at his bed, he suddenly felt very tired, so he laid down and slept.

Heero woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. It was dark outside his windows, and a quick glance at the clock on his nightstand told him it was 4:35 in the morning. Heero groaned and pulled himself off the bed. He'd left his phone in the pocket of his wet shorts. Luckily the damn thing still worked after taking an unexpected swim in the ocean. But Heero couldn't feel mad at Relena for that move.

To Heero's surprise, it was Quatre's name on the caller ID, where Heero had been expecting Duo. Heero answered.

"Quatre."

"Heero!" Quatre said. "Sorry to wake you."

"It's fine. I deserved it," Heero said with a slight laugh. "What's going on?"

"The entire upper east side is buzzing about Relena getting arrested at that marina!" Quatre said. "I've just left a party with some family friends and business partners, and that is all anyone can talk about. Naturally, the Peacecrafts were too ashamed of their daughter to show up, so none of us could get the real story. A few people who were at the marina earlier today saw it happen, and those us their stories. What really happened, Heero?" Quatre said, his words fast and urgent, a trait of the rich gossip, Heero supposed.

Heero took a deep breath and told him an abridged version of the events that took place that day. Quatre made many surprised gasps and other noises.

"Did you ever find out what she'd been up to that her brother was so concerned about?" Quatre asked.

"Yes, but I can't reveal that information," Heero lied. He didn't need the upper crust of New York to have any more ammunition against Relena than they already had.

"I see..." Quatre said, though he sounded slightly disappointed. "What'll happen next?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Quatre asked.

"My part is done," Heero said, though is hurt his heart to say it. "I'm no lawyer, and I'm not a police officer anymore. There's nothing I can do for her short of trying to break her out of jail..." Quatre was silent for a moment.

"I'll hire her a lawyer!" he said. "We'll get her out of jail!"

"Can a Winner lawyer beat a Peacecraft lawyer?" Heero asked sarcastically. Quatre missed it, as usual.

"We'd have to find out, I suppose," Quatre replied with a laugh, like it was all a game. Heero ran his hand over his face. "I'm going to find out where she is and see what I can do! Thanks Heero!" Quatre hung up the phone before Heero could say anything.

-/-\-

The bright, fluorescent lights glared down in Relena's eyes, giving her a headache. She sat in a metal chair at a metal table. There was a pane of one-way glass on one wall, where she knew someone was watching her and listening to her conversation with a detective. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to open her mouth. The coffee they'd brought her had long gone cold. Relena was sure it was nasty garbage coffee anyway.

"Are you ready to talk?" the detective asked when he returned to the room, a fresh cup of coffee in his hands. They'd been in the room for four hours, during which Relena revealed nothing except her extensive vocabulary of swear words.

"I want my lawyer," Relena said. "But you arrested her." The detective snorted.

"We ran a background check on Dorothy Catalonia. She is most certainly not a lawyer," the detective said. Relena shifted indignantly and pursed her lips together in a tight frown.

"If you are unable to afford a lawyer, the court can appoint you one," the detective said, though there was a distinct smugness about the way he spoke that set Relena's teeth on edge. She kept her mouth shut. "Well, even if you won't talk... you will listen," the detective said as he pulled a manilla folder from his jacket. He sat down in the chair opposite of Relena and flipped the folder open.

"Let's see here..." he said, shuffling a few of the papers around. "Maiden name- Relena Peacecraft. Briefly Relena Darlian until the untimely death of your husband. Oh but what's this...?" He pulled a sheet of paper out, all the while with that smug grin on his face. "Other known aliases, Katrina Weyridge, Starla Boynes and Mariana Jewells. All with strange and questionable activities attached to them." The detective looked up at Relena and met her eye. "Seems you've been busy these last few years."

Relena fidgeted in her seat. Her mind was racing. How did he get all that information? Slowly, like light filtering through the clouds, she began to figure it out. Heero must have found that information, or how else would he have known where to find her? Her stomach tightened unpleasantly. Had Heero betrayed her? Was their relationship even important enough to be considered betrayal?

"Where did you get that information?" Relena asked through gritted teeth. The detective leaned back and laced his fingers over his stomach.

"Why, from your brother," he replied. Realization crashed down onto her. Heero must have given Milliardo the information as he was searching for her, and Milliardo, the real betrayer, handed it over to the authorities when he had Relena arrested. It took all her willpower to recross her arms over her chest and say,

"I will say nothing until I have a lawyer."

-/-\-

Yay!

-Scarlet Eve


	6. Bloom

The Bounty

Part 6: Bloom

After Heero's middle-of-the-night conversation with Quatre, he slept until one in the afternoon. He opened his eyes which felt like they were stuck closed with glue and waited for his eyes to adjust to the light coming in through the window. He dragged himself up into a standing position beside his bed and looked around. Compared to the hotel he'd stayed at, and the luxury and comfort of The Sailing Dove, his apartment was dull, boring and most of all... empty. He'd only spent a few short days with Relena, but he'd quickly grown accustomed to her presence, her mannerisms, and the way she laughed.

Heero grunted to himself to stop being so sentimental, and trudged to the bathroom. He stood under the cold water, waiting for it to heat up to an acceptable temperature, while also trying to wash away the sleep and memories. He stood with his head down, the water trickling through his unkempt hair to slide down his forehead and drop from his nose and chin. After several minutes, he finally grabbed his bar of soap and washed the scents of Relena and the sea from his skin.

It was a smell he knew he'd miss.

Once dry and dressed, Heero stepped out to the living room and flipped on the television. The silence was something else he'd forgotten. Even at night, the sound of the waves lapping against the yacht brought him to a comfortable sleep. The television was turned to a local channel, which was showing a news woman sitting behind a desk, talking to her partner. Heero went to the kitchen to make coffee.

"The news story that everyone is talking about is the sudden reappearance and arrest of one of New York's upper crust members, Relena Peacecraft. Several witnesses sent in this cell phone footage that they took at the marina yesterday, showing Miss Peacecraft running from someone, then being apprehended by the police, along with her cohort, Dorothy Catalonia."

Heero poked his head around the wall and glanced at the television. Sure enough, the channel was playing shaky footage caught on a cell phone of Relena. She was screaming and swearing, though they were beeping out her words. Heero chuckled when she landed a good hit on the nose of one of the police officers. His laugh died in his throat when the handcuffs were clapped over her wrists and she was dragged into a squad car. Heero grunted and changed the channel- it ended on a cooking show with an large woman with southern accent.

Guilt was eating away at the edges of Heero's mind. He desperately wanted Relena to know that he didn't know that Zechs was planning on having her arrested. He wanted her to know that he'd simply wanted her to be returned to her brother safely. He wondered if he'd be able to see her in prison.

The gurgle of the coffee pot caught Heero's attention. He pulled down a large cup and poured the coffee inside. He took a long gulp, allowing the scalding coffee to burn his tongue and throat. His own mild form of personal punishment for letting Relena get arrested.

He had to figure out something...

-/-\-

Relena was lying on the uncomfortable cot in the holding cell, staring up at the cement block ceiling. She was picking at her fingernails out of anxiety, and biting her lip out of anger. She was still dressed in her clothes from the previous day, she hadn't had a shower yet, and she knew she looked a mess. And she knew she smelled, too. It was bothering her to feel so unclean. Not to mention she felt like a caged tiger, ready to strike.

A few cells down, she could hear Dorothy trying to sweet talk one of the guards into her something- she wasn't sure what. Maybe she didn't want to know. Relena pushed herself up off her back and swung her legs over the edge of the cot. She raked her fingers through her hair and trying to untangle the knots she found. A loud sudden banging startled her.

"Relena Peacecraft?" She turned and saw a police officer standing on the other side of the door.

"What?" she snarled.

"You have a visitor," the officer said. He took a few steps aside and her brother appeared in front of her. Relena leveled a glare at him, and threw herself at the bars.

"You asshole," she shouted at him. Milliardo didn't even flinch, much to Relena's annoyance. His long platinum hair hung down, clean and straight as always, and he was dressed to perfection. He lifted an eyebrow at his sister, and Relena fought the urge to snap at him.

"Oh Relena, look what you have gotten yourself into," he said, a tone of mocking in his voice.

"It's your fault I'm here," she growled. Milliardo shook his head.

"It wasn't me, my dear. You ran away from us and did who knows what for money. I was only trying to bring you back where you belong, to keep you out of trouble," he said.

"You make it sound like I was a whore," Relena said.

"Were you?"

"Of course not!" Relena shrieked, her voice hitting an almost unnatural register. In shame, she cowered from herself. She was losing it, being cooped up in this cell. Milliardo crossed his arms over his chest.

"Look, mother, father and I just want you to come back and home. You know we have the power to erase your past. You can come live at home again, and put all these schemes and disguises behind you. It's what's best," he said, his gaze and voice both softening.

"I don't think you understand that I don't belong there. I wasn't happy!" Relena said, feeling her throat close and her eyes strained to hold back tears. Milliardo looked perplexed.

"You had everything..." he began to say, but Relena stopped him.

"No I didn't. I was caged up, like I am here. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything on my own. People were too afraid to be my friend. I felt so crazy inside our home that I thought my head would explode," she sobbed. Her chest heaved with the effort of trying to hold back her tears and failing. Milliardo reached between the bars and patting her head, like she was a little child. Relena took a swipe at him, and he jerked his hand back.

"Don't condescend to me, Milliardo. You are just as guilty of stepping out of our "lifestyle" and leading your own seedy alternate life, Zechs Marquise," Relena mocked him. Milliardo frowned, but had no response. He turned half away from her, glancing at her with her peripheral vision.

"You can cry about it now, Relena, but you'll thank me later," he said, and walked away. Relena hated when he got the final word, so she ran to the bars and yelled,

"Fuck you!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she slapped her forehead. "Smooth move, Relena," she said with a shaking of her head.

She stepped away from the bars and watched the police officer walk by, a strange look on his face. Relena turned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. She began to pace. Her body was shaking with anxiety and anger. She still felt suspicious that her brother had ulterior motives for having her thrown in jail. He couldn't just want her to fix her lifestyle. There had to be something more... but what?

Relena didn't have time to mull over this thought. A different officer appeared at the cell. This one had a set of keys in his hands. "Your lawyer is here," he said simply. He unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"My lawyer?"

"Yes," the officer said, not bothering to offer any more information. He clapped a set of handcuffs on her wrists and led her roughly down the hall. Relena was about to protest, but she decided for once to keep her mouth shut. Relena walked in front of the officer, his hands holding onto her wrists. They walked down a long hallway, and the officer tightened his grip to make her stop walking. He pushed open a door and she stepped inside.

There was a woman sitting at the metal table, several folders spread out in front of her. She had reddish brown hair and friendly gray eyes. She rose when Relena stepped in the room and reached a hand out to her.

"Relena Peacecraft, my name is Catherine Bloom. I was hired to be your lawyer," the woman said. Relena shook the woman's hand and sat down across from her at the table.

"I don't remember hiring a lawyer," she said. Catherine smiled.

"I was asked by a friend. Quatre Winner. I believe you know him..." Relena thought for a moment. Of course she remembered Quatre. Distantly related cousins or something.

"Well, tell Quatre I said thank you," she said. Catherine nodded and sat back down in the chair.

"Let's get down to business," she said, a gleam in her eye that Relena wouldn't hesitate to call mischievous.

-/-\-

Heero was idly browsing the internet when there was a knock at his door. He wondered for a moment why the person didn't buzz the intercom, but remembered that the stupid front door was busted again. Heero pulled himself up off the couch and to the door. He pulled it open, and was surprised to see a woman standing on the other side, her short hair pulled back in a ponytail of curls and dressed in a skirt and blouse. She was carrying only what Heero assumed to be a stylish handbag. She smiled.

"Heero Yuy?" she asked. Heero nodded.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Catherine Bloom. I'm Miss Relena Peacecraft's lawyer," she said.

"Oh," he said with mild surprise.

"I was hoping I could chat with you for a bit," Catherine said. Heero shrugged his shoulders and stepped back to allow the woman into his apartment. Catherine stepped past him, her heeled shoes clicking against the old wood floor. She walked directly to the small dining table and set down her handbag and began to remove folders. Heero shut the door and locked it then turned back to her. She smiled.

"Please, have a seat with me," she said. Heero nodded and sat down in the other vacant chair. Catherine continued to shuffle through her papers, then finally set several piles down in front of Heero, facing towards him. Then she pulled out a tape recorder and set it down on the table. "Do you mind?" she asked. Heero shrugged.

"Depends."

"You are not on trial here," she said with a wink.

"Alright." Catherine pressed record on the device and folded her hands on the table.

"Please state your name and occupation," Catherine said.

"Heero Yuy, Bounty Hunter, occasional private investigator," he replied.

"Tell me about when Milliardo Peacecraft, aka Zechs Marques came to your office," Catherine said.

Heero spent the next hour telling Catherine the entire story, leaving out the private details of the encounters with Relena. He told her all about the information he got off the internet from his "sources," and how he came to find Relena, through Quatre's help. Catherine was mostly silent through the interview, occasionally asking a question or prompting for more information. Heero thought it was strange that she paid particular interest to the ways that he got information about Relena.

"Without revealing your source's identities, would you say that this information came to you illegally?" Catherine asked. Heero leaned back in his chair.

"To be honest, I don't even know these people's names. They are hobby hackers. If you give them a topic, they'll do everything they can to track down as much information as possible. It's like they have nothing better to do..." Heero trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. Catherine raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

"So you received this information that was gathered illegally?" Catherine asked. Heero nodded.

"You could say that," he answered. Catherine broke out into a large grin.

"Wonderful," she said, clapping her hands together.

"What do you mean "wonderful?"" Heero asked. Catherine reached out to the recording device and shut it off.

"Relena can really only be tried for taking illegal stock market tips and using them to her advantage. The other things that she was "charged" with are not really illegal. Her adult entertainment website that she runs could be charged with false advertisement, but there's not much to go on with that. However, since all your documents that you sent over to Mr. Peacecraft were gained through illegal means, then we will probably be able to throw the whole case out," Catherine said. Heero was impressed with this woman.

"So she'll be let go?" Heero asked. Catherine shrugged.

"There's still a chance she'll go to court on the stock market tips, since she was not the only one involved. That Dorothy Catalonia woman was the one passing the tips to Relena, so we don't know yet what will happen there," Catherine explained. She reached over and pulled a plain white envelope out of her handbag and passed across the table to Heero. "Open this after I leave, and you did not receive it from me," Catherine said. She rose from the table, gathered her documents and stuffed them back in her bag. "I will be in touch," she said with a smile, then let herself out. Heero barely noticed. He was staring at the envelope, wondering what could possibly be inside.

-/-\-

**[Please write your statement below in legible handwriting]**

_Dear Heero-_

_Catherine Bloom, who you've met by now, said I could write you this letter while everyone was distracted._

_I don't blame you for what happened. My brother has some messed up notions in his head that even I can't seem to figure out. I still don't really understand why he wanted to have me arrested. I am going on faith that you had no idea, either._

_I should also apologize for pushing you into the harbor. I do hope you understand my motivations. If you need anything replaced, please let me know. I'll have it replaced for you. Talk to Quatre, apparently a mutual friend of ours._

_I hope you haven't forgotten about me already. I haven't forgotten about you, and I want to see you badly. I keep having this crazy idea that I should break out from my parents house and just disappear again, but what would be the use, being on the run for the rest of my life. I could never feel safe anywhere. And besides, I would only want to be with you, and I don't want to take you from your life that you have now._

_I'm being transferred to house arrest at my parents' home. I'll even have a fancy ankle bracelet._

_If you should feel so inclined, my address is written below. My balcony and windows have roses growing on them. None of the other balconies or windows have that._

_Love, Relena_

Heero glanced down at the address she'd written in her neat handwriting. He wondered if it was even really possible to visit her up there. Wouldn't their home have an alarm system? Heero continued to ponder this letter from Relena. He couldn't deny that he desperately wanted to see her again as well, especially after reliving the entire experience again while he told Catherine what happened. An unfamiliar ache welled in his chest. He pressed the hand that held the letter to his chest and waited for the pain to pass. When it ebbed, he made a decision. He was going to see her no matter what.

He had some phone calls to make.

-/-\-

A/N: I am not a lawyer, nor have I studied law, so please forgive the possibly aggressive dramatic license I took with this chapter, and probably some of the coming chapters. Thanks everyone!

-Scarlet Eve


	7. Broken Memories

The Bounty

by Scarlet Eve

Part 7: Broken Memories

The police cruiser rolled up in front of the Peacecraft Manor at eight in the morning and stopped. Relena sat in the backseat, still in her dirty clothes from two days ago, her hair a complete mess, and her wrists cuffed together in her lap. Despite how gross she felt, she held her head high. She had no shame.

The officer who drove her back to her house climbed out of the car and walked around to the other side to let Relena out. As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she saw the front door open and her family stepped onto the front porch. Relena groaned inwardly, but kept her head held high.

She was led down the sidewalk and through the front gate and up to the porch. Her parents, whom she hadn't seen in years, were staring at her with a mixture of surprise and revulsion. It tugged at Relena's heart to see them so disappointed, but she reminded herself that they were the reason she was so unhappy at home, and why she ran away. Behind her parents stood her brother, who was smiling at her, like he'd won some silly childhood game.

"Relena," her mother said; her voice was low and it quivered slightly.

"Mother, father, brother," she said, acknowledging each of them with a nod of her head. Relena watched her mother's body language, noting how the woman seemed to be struggling with herself. Finally the older woman launched herself at her daughter and wrapped Relena in her arms. Relena could feel hot tears fall onto her shoulder. Since her wrists were still cuffed, her couldn't return the hug or provide any sort of comfort to her. Finally, her father pulled her mother off of her, and the family, along with the officer proceeded into the home.

Relena was surprised with how familiar, and yet how foreign everything looked in the home. Decorations and furniture had changed, but some of the pictures and of course, the layout of the home, were still the same. On the wall near the parlor was the last family picture that was taken before Relena ran away. She'd been sixteen at the time. In the picture, everyone looked happy, except for herself, who was scowling in the picture. At the time, she'd been proud of herself for ruining the picture, but now, she felt pangs of regret as she looked at the frozen face of her younger self.

Relena inched forward when she was prodded in the back by the police officer. Relena's mother led them to the dining room and Relena sat down in one of the chairs. The officer began to explain the ankle bracelet to her parents and brother, but Relena tuned it out. She continued to look around, and she was flooded with memories of her childhood. In her head, screams and shouts echoed- faded remnants of arguments with her parents, fights with her brother, scoldings by the housekeeper for pilfering food from the kitchen...

Relena shuddered and goosebumps rose over her skin. She twisted her arms against her stomach and leaned forward. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her forehead against her arm.

"Do you understand, Miss Peacecraft?" the officer directed his attention towards her again. Relena lifted her head up and nodded, though she hadn't heard a thing. The officer approached her and pulled the ankle bracelet from somewhere on his person. Relena stuck her leg out and the officer attached it, using the key to lock the device. The weight of the thing settled on Relena's leg, and she lowered her foot back to the ground. The officer took off her handcuffs, said good bye, and was led out of the house by her father.

No one spoke once her father returned to the dining room. Relena stared down at the blinking light on her ankle, not wanting to speak to anyone.

"So... you're a prisoner in your own home," her father said disapprovingly. Relena snorted.

"No different than the last time I lived here," she retorted. Her parents bristled. Milliardo just let out a chuckle. Relena shot him a look, and he quieted. She could feel her pent up anger flooding its way to the surface, the rage she squashed down the day she ran off from home. When she thought she'd never have to come back and see her family.

"You have always been ungrateful," her father said. Relena leveled her glare at her parents. Her mother shrank back behind her father. Relena opened her mouth to respond, but he spoke again before she could. "We always gave you everything that you wanted. We gave you every possible opportunity to make friends and become part of a group, but you just kept yourself closed off. You were the black sheep of the family," he finished, using the tired old cliche. Relena listened to her father, but when he finished, she simply hung her head and laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Milliardo asked.

"I didn't want clothes and toys and dance lessons," Relena said, absently rubbing at the slight chafe on her wrists from the handcuffs. "I wanted-" but she stopped herself. She wasn't sixteen anymore. She was twenty-five years old, an adult, and for the last several years, she'd made her own life, and she'd turned out relatively fine.

"Nevermind," she said. She felt awkward as everyone stared at her. The light blinking on the ankle bracelet was the only reminder in the room of the trouble that Relena had gotten herself into.

The silence was broken when Relena's mother sobbed and ran from the room. Relena's father followed after her, but Milliardo stayed. He walked towards Relena and pulled her up off the chair.

"See, little sister, you are safe now," he said. He gave her a brief hug, then he too, left the room. Relena stared after him, no closer to figuring out what his motives were than she was two days ago.

The house slowly went back to normal. Relena heard her mother speaking loudly on the phone, most likely to one of the other wives of the country club they belonged to. Somewhere, a television turned on. The low rumble of her father and brother speaking to each other filtered through the walls. She rose from her chair and wandered out of the dining room and towards the steps. She wondered if her room was even still her room anymore.

She reached the landing and stepped through the thick carpet that lined the floor. That was new. At the end of the hall, a door with a little pink sign that read "RELENA" still hung from the doorknob. Relena's chest ached slightly at the sight of it. So many times she had run up those steps, down the hall and into that room, only to slam the door shut and hear the knocking of that sign against the door. Relena reached out to the doorknob, turned it, and pushed the door open.

The first thing that hit her was the smell. It was musty and hot in that room. Clearly the door had been closed for a very long time. Then slowly, the familiar smells of childhood wafted out, the sprays and perfumes she used to use, the smell of make up, her candles...

Relena stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. Everything was as she left it the day she slipped out the window in the middle of the night with all the money she saved, a bag of her favorite clothes and her memories. Her girlish bed was still covered with the pink comforter, the canopy curtains still tied to the tall posts on each corner. Relena walked towards her closet and opened the doors. Old school uniforms and other clothes from her seventeen year old self hung there, coated in a fine layer of dust. On the floor were her old shoes, ones she would not fit in anymore.

And everywhere, on the walls, on the nightstand and desk, the dressing tables, remnants of the life her parents forced on her. Awards from dance, awards from academics, a youth golfing tournament trophy. She remembered how she'd fixed that tournament so that she'd win, and she managed to collect about two-thousand dollars from the spectators who bet against her. Relena smiled at the memory. Her parents had been furious. But at least she'd won, she'd tried to reason with them.

Relena pushed open the doors to her balcony. The roses were overgrown here, crawling over the floor of the balcony, along the railings and and down to hang towards the first floor. She carefully moved the twining branches out of the way so she could look over the city.

She leaned against the railing, her hands cupping her chin. The city rose up around her and extended far away from her home. Relena sighed wistfully, conjuring up the image in her mind that kept her from going crazy while she was stuck in that jail cell. Heero Yuy, the man who'd come after her, her proverbial knight in shining armor, standing at the controls of her yacht, sailing her back to New York City on the whim of her brother. The wind fluttering through his unkempt hair and ruffling his clothes against his body. Except Heero wasn't saving her, he was bringing her back to be captured by the evil witch and wizard.

He never treated her like he had contempt for her. Instead, he seemed almost fascinated by her. Something inside of him was interested in her little schemes, and that was interesting to Relena. She laughed to herself as she imagined her and Heero, side by side, scamming the world out of their money, just because they were bored. She thought their minds would work well together.

Relena let out a long sigh and her shoulders drooped. It was all just wishful thinking.

-/-\-

It took Heero several days to set up his plan, and each day that past saw a more and more agitated Heero Yuy. While he waited for emails and phone calls, he paced back and forth in his apartment, his mind constantly thinking of Relena. He was always wondering if she was alright. If she was being treated well.

The only real hope he had was that he'd received a few calls from Catherine Bloom, who kindly informed Heero that she was still working on Relena's case and would hopefully get the entire thing thrown out of court, unless the defense could actually produce some legally obtained evidence. Heero listed, but kept the hope in the back of his mind that it wouldn't matter what Catherine or the other lawyer were able to do.

Quatre had called Heero as well, who told him about dropping by the Peacecraft place. He had been invited for tea, and had noticed the extreme tension in the home. He'd been able to see Relena, who was looking thin and tired, and seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face. Quatre could tell that Milliardo had some smug satisfaction from seeing his sister locked up in the house.

It made Heero both sad and angry to hear this news. He still did not know the motivations behind Milliardo's behavior, but Heero was past the point of caring. All he was concerned with was getting Relena out.

About a week later, there was the long awaited knock on Heero's door. He'd been in the middle of drinking coffee and checking the news for information about Relena. Heero flew to the door and wrenched it open. Standing on the other side was Duo Maxwell, dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt, swinging a bag from his hand. He had that same grin on his face that he'd always had when the two of them were about to get into some adolescent trouble.

"Hey buddy," Duo said, stepping into the apartment and slapping Heero on the shoulder.

"Duo," Heero said by way of greeting. "You were able to get the tools?" Heero's eyes trailed to the bag in Duo's hands.

"Of course. What kind of haggler do you think I am?" Duo asked with a wink. He dropped the bag on Heero's dining table and opened it. He began to pull out various tools. Heero watched, nodding at each one as they were taken from the bag. Duo laid them all out side by side and glanced up at Heero. "The full arsenal. We should have the little lady out of that fashion statement and back on the ocean in no time."

For the first time all week, Heero smiled. And now, there was nothing to do except wait.

-/-\-

Relena lay on the sofa in the family room, watching television and eating from a bowl of grapes. The little light on her ankle bracelet blinked at her, mocking her with every flash of red. She'd taken to pulling a sock up over the bracelet in an unfashionable way, just so she wouldn't have to look at the offending device. As she watched old black and white movies, she tried to doze off and catch up on her sleep. The first night she tried to sleep in her childhood bed, she ended up lying awake for most of the night, missing the gentle rocking of her yacht in the water. Everything on land was too still for her. The second night, she'd dragged a rocking chair in from the long unused nursery (which she expected her mother kept around for future grandchildren), and tried to rock herself to sleep. She'd managed a few disjointed hours, but it was bad sleep and she'd awaken with sore muscles.

Lying on the sofa, however, was not ideal either, as she could hear her parents and brother going about their day in the rest of the house, and it irked her.

Relena set the bowl down on the floor and rolled over onto her side to face the back of the sofa. She wiggled, trying to make herself comfortable, but no matter how much she willed it, the sofa would not rock. It sat stationary on the ground, as it was supposed to. Relena moaned and flopped around to her back to stare at the ceiling. On the television, Scarlet O'Hara cried.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," Relena mimicked, as Rhett Butler turned away and left her crying on the steps. With a click, the door to the family room opened and Relena detected the light step of her mother. The door clicked again, and Relena sat up. Her mother was stepping cautiously towards her, as if at any moment, Relena would spring from the sofa and attack her.

"Relena darling," her mother said, turning the volume down on the television.

"Yes?" Relena asked indignantly. Her mother sat down on the edge of the sofa, and Relena pulled her feet up.

"I came to try and talk some sense into you. I know you won't listen to your father or brother..." Relena crossed her arms.

"What sense do I need to have talked into me?" Relena asked.

"To just admit what you did and we can get this whole messy business over with!" her mother said, trying to restrain her voice from getting too hysterical. Relena pursed her lips.

"You are concerned with the image of the Peacecraft name, no?"

Her mother sighed. "It's not just that Relena. Think of the businesses, and all our contacts and friends and family. They're all going to be linked to this!"

"So I should care about a bunch of people I don't know and their image, too?" Relena asked.

"Well, yes, I suppose. I tried to raise you to be courteous of everyone," her mother protested.

"You tried to raise me to be courteous only to those of our social standing, actually. I'm not going to admit to anything," Relena said. Her mother heaved a long, dramatic sigh.

"Oh Relena. You are breaking my heart," she said. Relena couldn't hold back a sarcastic scoff. She stood from the sofa, staring down her mother.

"How could I be breaking your heart, mother? Is it because I'm ruining the family? Or because you actually care about what happens to me?" Her mother seemed to have no answer, so Relena went on. "You keep talking about raising me, mother, but you did not do any of that. School, the household staff, Pagan, they all raised me. You did nothing except attend parties and ignore me. Through my entire teenage years, I had to fumble along, embarrassed, because I didn't know that my growing body was supposed to do the things it did. You know who helped me when I got my first period, mother?" Her mother flinched. "The cook! Yes, because you weren't home, and you never warned me. I barely knew how to act like a girl, mother. I didn't fit in with anyone. So I went my own way. I learned things on my own, and grew up into the person I am now. And I will never regret it. Ever."

"Relena..." her mother began, but Relena cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"All I ever wanted was parents. I wanted a mother who would take me shopping instead of sending out the maid with a list of my sizes. I wanted a father that would teach me things about business and books and history and science. I wanted a brother who would protect me and be my confidant, but I had none of that. I was left to fend for myself. So I did the only thing I could think of: to run away and do it on my own. And even if you don't think so, I succeeded."

By now, Relena's mother was sobbing, her hands pressed against her face and her tears falling into the material of her dress. Relena was heaving, her face hot and angry, but she was also holding back tears. She refused to cry in front of her mother, or anyone from her family.

"Oh Relena, I'm so sorry," her mother sobbed. Relena began to walk towards the door.

"It's a little too late for that, mother."

-/-\-

A/N: Yay! A chapter update! Sorry it has taken me so long. I've had some crappy weeks for the past few weeks, and it's been hindering my writing and everything. But I'm back! I think there will be one more chapter, and then I'm going to write an alternate ending as well. I just have so many ideas to bring you all, my faithful readers!

As always, review please! And if you are interested, there are various ways to follow me around the internet on my profile page. I'd love to interact with all of you!

-Scarlet Eve


	8. Sunrises

The Bounty

Part 8: Sunrises

by Scarlet Eve

Heero watched out the window as the sun began to sink down behind the buildings surrounding his apartment building. Behind him in the kitchen, Duo was rummaging around trying to find something adequate to eat, grumbling the entire time.

"What DO you eat, man?" Duo called, his head leaning into the refrigerator.

"That's not important right now," Heero said, turning away from the window and crossing the small apartment to the dining table, where their plan had been laid out a few hours earlier. "Come on. By the time we get there, it will be full dark." Heero slipped on a black sweatshirt that he'd found in the back of his closet. Duo came out from the kitchen area and picked up his small bag of tools.

"Fine. I'm ready," he said. Heero nodded, and together they left the apartment.

The night was mild, only minimal humidity and a slight breeze, which helped make the walk towards the Peacecraft home more bearable. The amount of cars and pedestrians increased as they moved nearer to one of the rich parts of the city. The people were better dressed as well. Heero hoped that he and Duo didn't look too suspicious, but he'd lived in New York long enough to know that no one really paid attention to anyone else. They slipped down the sidewalks easily without pulling a second glance.

As they walked, Heero mused on the irony of a bounty hunter going after his former charge. It did seem a little backwards to him. But he'd already made the most important decision while he waited for Duo to get to New York. If they were able to successfully release Relena from the confines of her home, he'd leave his current life and go away with her. They could pick new names, hide somewhere warm, and spend the rest of their lives traveling wherever their hearts desired. He knew this was a big decision for a girl he'd only just met, but he had never really been so sure about anything before. He had no doubts in his mind.

"You're quiet," Duo commented as they walked along. Heero looked at him, brow raised.

"Is that new for you?" Heero asked with a smirk. Duo made a face at him.

"Naw. Hilde tells me to be quiet all the time," Duo said.

"I don't blame her."

"Aw come on, give me a break." Heero shook his head letting out a small chuckle. But his face became serious again.

"I'm going away with her if we can free her," Heero said. Duo glanced at him, nodding.

"I figured as much. And you're sure?" Duo asked, and Heero nodded in reply.

"Maybe we'll find Chang," Heero joked. Duo laughed uneasily.

"I just never thought that you'd be the one to run off with some job," Duo said. "She must have really gotten to you."

"She did," Heero confirmed with a nod of his head. Duo slapped him on his shoulder.

"I'm glad. Make sure you invite me to the wedding," Duo teased. Heero shook his head, but he smiled.

-/-\-

The Peacecraft home loomed up in front of the two dressed in black. Lights blazed in several of the windows, but the house seemed quiet. Heero took a few steps towards the house and around to the wide alley between Relena's house and the one next door. He looked up, searching for the balcony of roses that Relena had described. Finally, in the soft light from the neighboring house, he spotted the balcony. He could see that there was a light on in the room, and he could hear faint voices coming from the room. Heero stepped out of the darkness and motioned to Duo, who looked both ways down the street, then jogged across and stopped beside Heero. Heero pointed to the balcony.

"That's the one." Duo nodded and took a few steps forward, looking around. From his bag, he removed one of the tools. He stood back, took aim, and fired. A bolt shot from the barrel, a cord attached. There was a small "ping" as it attached itself to the metal balcony. Duo gave the cord a few sharp tugs, and was satisfied with the hold. Duo nodded to Heero, who stepped up. Heero pulled on a pair of gloves and took the cord from Duo. He grasped it and stepped up to the brick wall of the house. Carefully, he lifted one foot, then the other, against the wall, using all of his strength to hold himself up. Memories of the police academy came flooding back. Heero remembered being good at this task, but it had been several years since he'd had to do something like this. Carefully, he placed one foot in front of the other, using the cord to pull himself up along the wall. Below him, Duo held the cord steady to make the climb easier for Heero.

As Heero climbed, he began to make out the voices speaking in the room. It was Relena and her brother. They were having what sounded like a heated discussion. He wanted to listen, but his foot slipped the moment he removed his concentration from climbing. Heero quickly regained control, but the voices had stopped for a moment.

"What was that?" Milliardo asked.

"Nothing. Probably just the neighbor kids," Relena replied, sounding frustrated.

"It sounded too close to be neighbor kids," Milliardo said. Heero froze. Milliardo's tall form appeared in the light from the door between the balcony and the room. He nearly stopped his breathing as he waited for Milliardo to return back into the room. Finally, having heard nothing else, Milliardo turned and disappeared. Heero resumed his climb, inching closer and closer to the balcony. As he got closer, the smell of roses assaulted his senses. The smell immediately made him remember his time with Relena on the yacht, in her little room, as they laid together on her bed.

His foot slipped again, making a scraping sound against the bricks, and he lost about a foot before his caught himself.

"There is something out there, Relena," Milliardo said. He reappeared in the doorway and stepped onto the metal balcony. Heero's heart hammered against his rib cage. He halted his breath and waited. He heard Duo's feet scrape against the ground as he moved, most likely to hide in the shadows.

Heero's hands began to sweat in the gloves. His eyes widened slowly as he felt the material covering his hands begin to slide against his skin, weakening his grasp on the cord.

"Milliardo! There's nothing out there!" Relena shouted. Heero saw her form appear on the balcony as well. She stepped across to the edge and looked down. Heero's worried gaze caught her own, and her mouth fell open. A moment later, her face had changed back to her previous annoyed look, and she whirled around. "See! There's nothing here! Look, if you aren't going to just own up to whatever your reasons were for having me arrested, then get out of my room." Relena pushed Milliardo back through the doorway without glancing back behind her.

"Relena, you know I only wanted you safe. A young woman like you, from your social standing no less, shouldn't be running all over the place on her own," Milliardo said. Relena laughed sarcastically.

"I was doing alright before you sent that bounty hunter after me," she said.

Heero took this chance to allow himself to breath once again, and was able to keep climbing up, though now that his gloves were wet with sweat, it made the going much more difficult. Every time he changed his grip on the cord to move up, the gloves caughts a bit of give.

"Relena..." Milliardo began.

"Like I said- if you aren't going to tell me anything, then get out of my room," she repeated.

"I saw those videos of you online!" Milliardo spat out suddenly, his voice laced with anger and vehemence. Relena gasped. Heero halted once again, his heart still racing.

"What?" Relena asked.

"I just couldn't believe that my sister would do something so disgusting, and then post it on the internet!" Milliardo said, the anger still present in his voice.

Heero was starting to slip again. He quickly tightened his grip. No matter what this conversation was about, he had to keep moving. He had to, or he'd fall. He wouldn't die, but falling on pavement wouldn't feel too great.

"Did you tell mom and dad?" Relena asked slowly, her voice low.

"Of course not."

A few more feet and Heero would be able to climb onto the balcony, but until Milliardo left, there was a chance that Heero would be found.

"I told them about your other transgressions. Of course they heard the rumors about you killing your husband..." Milliardo said. "But I wouldn't tell them about videos of you having sex with your old husband." The smugness is his voice was hard to miss.

"Oh god," Relena moaned.

"Shit," Heero cursed to himself, losing another foot or so. His mind was whirling. Below, he knew Duo was watching him, but didn't know if Duo could hear the conversation.

"Are you going to own up to your crimes yet?" Milliardo asked.

"Get out."

"Excuse me?"

"Get out. You don't understand anything, and I'm not going to bother to explain anything to you. Get out," Relena said.

"You are out of control. Perhaps a stint in prison would calm you down," Milliardo said, laughing. "At least you wouldn't make anymore sex videos," he added. There was a scream and a scuffle. Heero took that time to climb over the railing of the balcony, pricking his hands on the rose vines, and landing with a thud on the metal floor of the balcony.

Startled sounds and grunts issued from the room, but Heero pressed his back against the wall of the building, trying to hide in the shadows. Below, he could hear Duo begin to make the climb up the side of the building. Heero hoped he'd have an easier time.

The bedroom door slammed. Footsteps, then Relena appeared on the balcony. There were silent tears streaming down her face. She stopped in front of Heero, who had turned toward her.

"Heero..." she said, the tears still sparkling on her cheeks. "You probably heard..."

"It doesn't matter," Heero said. He pulled Relena into his arms and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Truthfully, he was concerned about the words of her brother, but Heero knew that Milliardo couldn't be trusted. But that could be dealt with later. There were more important things at hand.

A few moments later, Duo hauled himself up over the balcony and landed on his feet. Relena let go of Heero and looked towards the new arrival.

"Duo?" Relena asked. Duo spread his arms and grinned.

"Your gallant rescuers!" he said. Relena managed a small giggle. Heero turned towards Duo.

"Make this quick," he said.

"What's going on?" Relena asked.

"We're getting you out of here, Miss Jailbird. Should only take a few moments to remove that nice piece you got there on your ankle," Duo said. Relena looked down at her foot and shifted it uncomfortably.

"Is it even possible?" Relena asked.

"They put it on you, right?" Duo asked. Heero reached for Relena's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"He's got a knack for this," Heero said. "Though he'd never tell us where he picked it up." Duo simply winked. Relena led the two men into her bedroom where there was more light.

"Just take a seat there on the bed, and I'll get to work," Duo said. He flung down his bag from his shoulder where he'd put it for the climb. He pulled out his tools and set to work on Relena's ankle bracelet. Heero and Relena watched silently and with rapt fascination as he worked. Heero couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time he'd seen Duo so concentrated on something.

Heero shifted his gaze to Relena, who was staring at Duo while he worked. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her face and neck were flushed with anger. Tears dried on her cheeks. Heero knew this was a weak moment for the young woman, and in it, she seemed different from the confident and happy woman he'd met in the Bahamas. But even as he watched her dab at her face with a tissue, he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Absently, Heero reached out and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. Relena lifted her gaze to him, and she forced a small smile onto her face.

"I'm so happy you guys came for me," Relena said. "I think I was starting to go crazy being stuck up here."

There was a small click and the bracelet slid off Relena's ankle.

"No problem at all, babe," Duo said with a wink. He picked up the bracelet carefully, found a stuffed animal and stuck the bracelet around the animal's middle, and he locked it in place. The red light continued to blink.

"It scares me that you know how to do that," Heero commented. Duo shrugged his shoulders.

"Secrets of the street," Duo replied. Heero shook his head and returned his attention to Relena. She was rubbing against her ankle with her hand, and that look of determination had returned to her face that Heero knew had just been hiding. She looked up at him.

"Let's get out of here," she declared. Heero and Duo nodded. They followed her out to the balcony.

"Do you need to grab anything?" Heero asked, but Relena shook her head.

"Nothing was brought from the Dove. Everything should still be there," she said. Duo climbed over the railing and took hold of the cord. He'd replaced the gloves on his hands and quickly made his descent. Relena watched him interestedly. "I have to do that?" she asked. Heero nodded and smiled.

"You'll do fine," he said. Relena glanced back down over the railing and shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright." Heero handed her an extra pair of gloves, and she slipped them on over her hands. She climbed over the railing and looked down. Duo waved to her. Relena crouched and took hold of the cord. She slowly lowered herself down, trying to keep her grip firm on the cable. She managed to lowered herself a short distance, but she slipped and fell. She let out a cry, and from the balcony, Heero watched in horror but also listened for anyone returning to the room.

Down below, Duo managed to catch her, sort of. She'd landed on top of him and the two toppled to the ground. Relena couldn't help but giggle. Duo moaned.

"It's a good thing you don't weigh anything," Duo groaned, and Relena lifted herself off him and helped him back to his feet.

"Sorry, Duo," she said. Duo waved it off with a flip of his hand and that silly grin returned to his face.

"No problem."

Heero hauled himself over the edge of the balcony and made his way down. It was always easier going down then up, and it only took him a moment before his feet made contact with the pavement.

"How do we get this thing down?" Heero asked, tugging on the cord. Duo shrugged.

"Hilde never told me," Duo said. "Though she doesn't know I took her tools either..." Duo said with a lopsided, guilty, grin. Heero groaned and linked his arm through Relena's.

"Come on then. We need to get out of here," he said. Duo nodded and the three of them took off down the street. When they were a few blocks away from the house, they slowed their pace and walked. Duo walked a little ways ahead of Heero and Relena.

"What happens now?" Relena asked.

"We have to go to my apartment first. And after that, it depends on what you want to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I sort of had an idea that we could go get the Dove and sail off somewhere," Heero said, his face heating up slightly with a flush. He was grateful the darkness of the night concealed that fact.

"We?"

"Yeah."

Relena flung her arms around his torso as they walked and hugged him.

"Yes. That sounds like a fabulous idea!" Relena released him and clapped her hands together. She shuddered with excitement, her eyes bright with ideas and plans. To Heero, it was like the removal of the ankle bracelet had unlocked her personality, and the old Relena was back, scheming and planning and looking for adventure. Heero draped his arm over her shoulders, and they continued to walk to Heero's apartment.

-/-\-

Relena stood at the back of trio as Heero unlocked the door to his apartment. Her excitement had subsided slightly during their walk, and her anxiety had begun to take over. She twisted her hands around themselves, wondering when it would be discovered that she'd escaped from home. Of course, aside from that cord the boys had used to climb to her room, the police would be baffled as to how she got the bracelet off without breaking it. At least, Relena hoped they'd be baffled. Relena also hoped that Heero had some sort of plan to get to the yacht. Relena expected she'd have to rename it and have it painted. But that was a small thing compared to having her freedom once again.

Relena followed the two boys into the small apartment and shut the door behind her. She looked around, unsurprised as the sparseness of the room. It seemed very 'Heero' to her.

"Now we begin phase two," Duo said, dropping his bag of apparently pilfered tools onto the table. Heero nodded.

"What's phase two?" Relena asked.

"Getting the hell outta here," Duo said with a laugh.

"I need to pack some things. Quatre Winner wanted to see you if I ever got you back to New York, but I think it would be better to tell him how to get a hold of us and he can come visit wherever we are in a few months," Heero explained, and Relena nodded to agree. "We need to find a disguise for you as well." Relena grinned.

"I get to wear your clothes again?" Relena asked with a wink. Heero grinned slightly and nodded. Since it wasn't hard to figure out the small apartment, so Relena flounced away to his bedroom. From the looks of his closet, he didn't wear a majority of the clothing he actually owned. Relena pushed through the dusty clothes towards the back. She began to pull out articles of clothing. Jeans, sweatpants, shorts, sweatshirts, t-shirts... many of them with logos from the police academy and other colleges. She eventually found a pair of jeans that she was able to pull up over her hips and didn't fall down right away. She pulled on a hooded sweatshirt, and as she dug through a little more, she found a cap. Relena picked it up in her hands and looked it over. It was a dark grey newsboy cap. Relena immediately pictured Heero wearing it, and she burst out laughing.

"What's so funny in there?" Duo called. Relena rose from her spot on the floor and walked into the living room, carrying her find delicately between her hands. She lifted it up and saw Heero's expression fall. "What the heck is that?" Duo asked through laughter.

"It was a gift," Heero said, his voice low. Relena tried to hold back the laughter, but it was too difficult. Heero ignored the two laughing at him. Relena twisted her hair up and tucked it into the cap, pulling the brim down low over her face.

"How's this?" she asked, spreading her arms.

"You look like a gutter rat, but it'll do," Duo said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. Relena giggled. She hadn't felt this good in days. She felt hopeful for once, that this horrible nightmare would come to an end.

But the gnawing feelings at the back of her mind kept reminding her that she was now on the run from the police, and that Milliardo had seen the horrible videos that John had posted of her on the internet, and that Heero knew about that as well. But when she glanced at him from under the bill of her cap, she could see him staring at her with nothing but affection. Willingly, she returned the look.

"You know Quatre Winner?" Heero asked, looking up at her from his computer. Relena nodded her head. "He wanted to see you when I brought you back to town, but there's no time for that now. I suggest you write him a note or something, since he was the one to hire Miss Bloom," Heero said. Relena nodded.

"Of course." She sat down at the small table and pulled a piece of paper towards her and picked up a pen. She quickly scrawled a note, giving a few suggestions in case events turned out in Relena's favor. She folded the note up and placed it inside an envelope that Heero offered her.

"We'll drop it off on the way."

-/-\-

The moon was slung low in the sky, a sign of the dawn soon to come. Heero, Duo and Relena crept through the shadows cast by the buildings around the marina where they'd docked the Sailing Dove. There was a guard at the gate, sitting in his little booth, reading some kind of magazine and barely paying attention to anything else. Duo and Heero hoisted Relena up over the fence, then the two climbed over themselves. All around, the sound of water lapping against the hulls mixed with the waves and the calls of the early rising seagulls. Some of the yachts were lit up, early risers, most likely fishermen, were moving around. Relena guided the two men towards where she believed her boat was docked.

She soon spotted the flag and changed directions towards it. When she stepped up to the Dove, Relena lovingly ran her hand over the smooth railings. It was blessedly untouched. Relena, back in her element, vaulted over the railing, leaving the two on the wooden dock. She quickly pulled down her Dove flag and stowed it away. She heard Duo and Heero step aboard. There was an American flag stowed away under one of the couches, and she rose that up the pole instead, helping to disguise her yacht among the other patriots. Heero tossed his bag down into the living quarters and walked back up the steps. Relena was already at the wheel, waiting. She watched as Heero walked up to Duo and clasped his hand.

"Thank you, Duo," Heero said with a smile.

"Anytime man. Let me know when you two are set up somewhere. Hilde and I will come visit," Duo said, and Heero nodded. Duo waved to Relena.

"See ya, jailbird!" he called. Relena smiled, then lept over towards the edge of the yacht and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you for everything," she said. Duo nodded, and he stepped off back onto the dock. He unhooked the lines, and Relena jogged back to the wheel. She started up the engine and slowly began to maneuver the yacht out towards open water. Heero waved once more to Duo before he took a spot beside Relena.

Relena glanced up at Heero, a sad smile on her face.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked.

"What you heard back at my house..." she began, shifting her eyes away from him. Heero shook his head and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I don't care what happened in the past," he said. "Tell me when you are ready." Relena smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

After several minutes, they had cleared the marina and were speeding out towards the ocean. The faintest pink and orange peeked out towards the east, cresting over the endless ocean sprawled out around them. Heero slipped an arm around Relena's waist and kissed her, the salty air kissing their skin backing, welcoming the bounty hunter and the criminal back to the sea.

-/-\-


	9. Loose Ends

The Bounty

Loose Ends

by Scarlet Eve

Mrs. Peacecraft walked down the carpeted hallway, carrying a silver tray with a light breakfast and tea. She knocked on Relena's door and waited, but she didn't hear anything from inside. She assumed her daughter was still sleeping. Mrs. Peacecraft pushed open the door carefully and stepped inside. The bedroom light was still on, and the doors to the balcony were flung wide open.

"Relena?" she called tentatively. She placed the tray on the dresser and checked the room. Her daughter was nowhere to be found.

"Darling! Milliardo!" she called, her chest tight and tears pouring down her cheeks. Milliardo was the first to arrive at the room, still in his pajamas. He stepped in and looked around. The solitary flashing of the ankle bracelet stuck around the middle of a stuffed animal caught his eye. Milliardo lifted the thing from its spot on the nightstand.

"Oh what the f-"

-/-\-

Quatre Winner sat down to breakfast, a pile of mail sitting beside his plate. He thumbed through them quickly, and his eye caught one piece that was not stamped. He opened it and read the note, and smiled at the curly signature of Relena Peacecraft at the bottom. He grinned and nodded, as if to tell Relena he'd carry out her wishes.

-/-\-

Catherine Bloom stretched out her long legs and crossed one over the other. Beside her, she could feel the DA fuming. The judge was still reading through a stack of papers, but he soon lowered them down on the desk and looked up at the two lawyers.

"So there is no substantial evidence that was legally obtained that incriminates Miss Peacecraft?" he asked.

"Your Honor!" the man beside Catherine yelled. "She's been accused of killing her ex husband!"

"Accused is not the same as convicted," Catherine said mildly. "There was never a suspect because Miss Peacecraft was no where near their estate at the time. She was attending a bachelorette party."

"But!"

"Come back when you have something solid. Let her go. And let her friend go, too," the judge said. "Now get out of my office so I can enjoy my coffee in peace."

-\-/-

Dorothy lay sprawled out on her slab of a bed, her head cushioned on her arms. She stared up at the ceiling, pondering whatever wisps of a thought crossed through her mind. She was so bored. And she hadn't had a proper shower in days.

"Catalonia!" a rough voice called. Dorothy lifted her head up and looked out through the bars of her cell.

"Yes?"

"You're leaving. Come on," the guard.

"Oh, but I was just starting to get comfortable here," Dorothy said with mock sadness. The guard rolled his eyes.

"I've had enough of your mouth, woman," he said. Dorothy smiled wickedly.

"I'm sure," she said. The guard unlocked the cell and Dorothy sashayed out, flipping her hair in the face of the guard. He snarled after her, but she didn't turn.

After several harassing minutes of checking out of the prison, Dorothy finally walked outside without being cuffed. She stepped into the early sunlight, stretching her arms over her head and breathing in the fresh air.

A few feet away, a young man was leaning against the most amazing limousine that Dorothy had ever seen. It appeared to be painted a bright, shiny gold. The man leaning against the door smiled at her and stepped forward, his hand extended.

"Dorothy Catalonia?" he asked. Dorothy nodded, reaching her hand out and shaking his hand. "My name is Quatre Winner. I asked to come here and pick you up."

"Relena's safe?"

"I was told to inform you that the dove and her mate have flown south for the winter," Quatre said with a wink. Dorothy broke out into a grin.

"That's just wonderful," she said, clapping her hands together. Quatre nodded. "Now, tell me more about this fascinating vehicle..."

-\-/-

A/N: MADE IT! I hope everyone enjoyed this, and I thank everyone who stuck with me for the whole thing! I appreciate all the reviews and support!

I will be writing one more chapter... an alternate ending, and it'll be depressing. Fair warning. :-P

And as always, check me out on twitter flyinghigh05, and there are many other links to my haunts on the interwebz in my profile!


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